


The U.S.S. Newton

by shakeitoffpluto



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bad guys, Conspiracy, Family, Friendship, IN SPACE, Love, M/M, Sexual Tension, Sexy Times, Star Trek AU, kihyuk besties, monsta x - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2019-08-06 02:35:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 209,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16379798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shakeitoffpluto/pseuds/shakeitoffpluto
Summary: Captain Son of the U.S.S. Newton carries out missions on behalf the United Federation of Plantets, while secretly fighting ne’er-do-wellers across the galaxies with the ‘tried and true’ Section 31 operatives onboard: Commander Lee Hoseok-Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Chae Hyungwon-Cheif Helm Officer and Dr. Im Changkyun-Chief Counsel Officer.Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Yoo Kihyun, just wants to stay in his lab, maybe take some pretty pictures now and then, hopefully get laid sometime this year. Unfortunately, the universe couldn’t give two shits about what Kihyun wants.





	1. Prologue

“This Saturday will mark the fourth year since the sudden death of Star MC983 resulting in the tragic destruction of Starbase Kcorlehs. As in previous years, Federation Bases across the galaxies will hold a memorial to honor the lives lost. Even today, scientists are left with no clues as to the cause of the unexpected, sudden death of the star. On Earth-“

Hyunwoo clicked the news off and finished the last dregs of coffee. Four years didn’t make it any easier to swallow. A nonsensical death toll that included his mother. An event that led to birth of the U.S.S. Newton and many other newly minted Federation vessels.

He stood from the chair, stretching. It was going to be a rough a week for many people, but there was work to be done as always.

“Captain’s Log, Stardate 54873.3. Our destination is the port of Akleron on Thalos IV. It is believed the stolen vaccination cargo from the U.S.S. Tera is being sold on the black market. Sources point to Akleron as a probable point of distribution. At this time our directive is to gather intel and report to Starfleet for further command. Chief Engineer Officer Jooheon will be updating systems aboard the U.S.S. Starglider and is expected to return tomorrow. Acting Chief Engineer in his absence is Lieutenant Matthew.”

Hyunwoo stepped out the ready room and onto the command bridge, taking his seat in the captain’s chair. He would never tire of this view, the helm and the great beyond. Since he was small boy zooming around the estate with a toy U.S.S. Enterprise, his dream of becoming a captain of a United Star Ship never once faltered. He spent his entire youth working towards a captaincy and knew exactly what was needed to get there. He wasn’t content to only tick off the requirements leading up to the title. He aimed for excellence, achieved the highest scores, won the most awards, and shouldered the most responsibilities. Always ten steps beyond his closest competitors, barring one who nipped at his heals the whole way, his rival, Park Hyungsik. A lifetime of hard, driven effort that culminated in commanding the U.S.S. Newton.

The Newton has been active for nearly two years. The initial proposal for the vessel was an experiment of sorts for Starfleet. While many new vessels had been built after the tragedy four years ago, the key crew and positions went to seniors among other well-established ships. The captain and crew of the Newton, conversely, was comprised wholly of new graduates from Starfleet. Students and cadets that had been put on a fast track due to the dire need for Starfleet personnel. It was a notion heavily ridiculed; a ship of untested crew and personnel. His fellow graduates asked what possessed him to take the position when he could have had his pick. He was offered second in command onboard numerous prestigious United Star Ships that would have eventually led to inheriting the captaincy down the road. That was the way it was typically done. His career would have been set. Everyone seemed to think the Newton was a deathtrap for a captain’s career. Hyunwoo had his reasons for accepting the position, but more than anything, he knew in his gut that it was the beginning of something great. Additionally, he loved a challenge.

He had been right to follow that gut instinct. Only months after its christening, the USS Newton had begun to prove their merit.

The ship was tasked with a multitude of responsibilities. One being the advancement of science and academia. Fifty percent of the ship are scientists or scholars. Himself and his council selected only the best the Academy had to offer over a two-month period of extensive interviews and checks. The brightest and most innovative minds in a plethora of fields including science, medical, engineering, technology, psychology, the arts, anthropology, history, economics, language, cuisine. Within months, they turned out findings and reports that left the ship’s critics eating their words.

The other fifty percent was devoted to the diplomatic side. Starfleet charged them with missions for peacekeeping, negotiations, aide and rescue. Himself, commanding officers, council and soldiers carried out these orders. There was yet to be a mission they couldn’t complete satisfactorily. A ship of ‘kids’ was outperforming even the most recognized and revered of United Star Ships, not that it was a competition. He sometimes had to remind himself that smugness wasn’t a good look on anybody.

And then there was the covert facet of the Newton. A facet most of the ship was oblivious to. This task force was referred to as Unit X, a sect of Section 31, and consisted of himself, Commander Lee Hoseok, Lieutenant Chae Hyungwon, Dr. Im Changkyun and a select few highly trained members. There was no other word for it: espionage. They gathered intel on persons, peoples, even other U.S.S. vessels and then acted accordingly. Their orders came from above. A few, high-ranking leaders of the United Federation of Planets. They would supply a name, government, group or ship deemed as a possible threat and Unit X would get to work. Most Star Ships consisted of crews with a traditional, decorated military background, like himself and Im Changkyun. Unit X was mostly comprised of former soldiers that came from the darker depths of the military. Black-ops soldiers like Lee Hoseok and Chae Hyungwon. On a day to day basis, Unit X members blended into various departments on the ship, their day jobs. In only two years, a concerning number of nefarious plans and conspiracies had been thwarted and uncovered. The need for Newton’s secret task force, unfortunately, proven time and time again. They did it all and they did it well: infiltration, surveillance, hacking, interrogation, seduction, recruitment and when necessary, assassination. When sleep evaded him late into the night, he sometimes thought they did it too well.

He took great pride in the Newton. He had brought the best onto the ship and expected the best from them in return. The crew more than delivered. Their reputation placed the Newton at the forefront of Starfleet, a shining example of excellence across the board. Invitations and requests came in from across the galaxies. Her scientists, doctors, and specialists on a near constant tour of conferences and seminars. Ambassadors and leaders requested the U.S.S. Newton specifically as a point of contact.

They were busy. Yet, the cafeteria was always full of laughter and animated conversations. The gymnasium courts loud with activity and games. He had been to ten weddings this year already. The crew lived well on the ship. As they were all new graduates when they stepped aboard, no one had a family of their own. They made their home and families aboard the ship. It was a beautiful place to live. Forty years from now, he’d most likely hand the reigns over to another young, eager captain. But, for now, she was his to command and her legacy only just beginning.

Hyungwon smoothly walked onto the command deck like he wasn’t seventeen minutes late.

“Lieutenant Chae. Nice of you to finally join us. How many hours will this make? Twenty?” Hyunwoo inquired.

Hyungwon relieved Lieutenant Yeoreum from her station and slipped into his seat. She gave him a pitying smile. “Twenty-six, Captain.”

“I’ve been thinking. All these hours spent cultivating crops in the horticulture zone isn’t cutting it anymore. From now on, why don’t we subtract time from your leave instead? One hour for each minute late.”

Hyungwon’s face twisted, but he dutifully replied, “Yes, Captain.”

Hyunwoo smiled. He ran a tight ship. Orders were meant to be followed. It’s how they stayed safe and thriving. Thankfully, his orders were followed…for the most part; a certain frustrating doctor and a lanky pilot did come to mind. He leveled Hyungwon with a quelling stare.

\--

Kihyun wearily entered his quarters, rubbing his neck. Hours spent over a microscope was killer, but followed by emergency surgery for Ambassador Thierry’s daughter? He was supposed to be off duty four hours ago and he was dead on his feet. The door slid closed behind him with a hiss. Discarding his boots in the front closet, he flipped on the power and stripped out of his uniform and underwear on the way to the closet. He pulled on a pair of silky pajama pants and tugged his favorite sweatshirt over his head. The fresh clothes felt cool against his skin. Bliss.

In the kitchen, he poured a glass of wine and grabbed the whole bottle at the last second before heading to the couch. Languidly stretching out over the leather cushions, he sighed and fished out the tablet from between the cushions. Time to catch up with the world of medicine. The U.S.S. Savior was doing brilliant things with Acanthobothrium zimmeri. He was honestly kind of jealous he hadn’t thought of using it that way first. He chastised himself. A win for medicine is a win for everyone.

One glass later, Kihyun switched the tablet off and stuffed it back into the cushions. Flipping onto his back, he stared at the ceiling. It mirrored dark, tumultuous clouds, fluttering with lightning. The night sky was too dark to see the rainfall, but he could hear it. Could almost smell the honeysuckle he knew to be below that sky. He’d set the hologram to the sky of his home town the first day on the ship.

His body was warm and pliant from the wine and he sunk further into the cushions. Minhyuk said he was a lightweight. In his defense, anyone would be labeled a lightweight next to Minhyuk. He breathed in contentment. This really was the life, he thought, looking around. He’d taken great care in decorating his quarters. The furniture was one of a kind. The shelves littered with rare books and pretty trinkets he collected from planets they visited. His vanity and shower neatly cluttered with the most expensive, luxurious products. Clothes and bedding made from the finest materials. After actually having money for the first time in his life, he had discovered a crippling weakness for extravagant things.

If someone had told Kihyun two years ago that he had expensive tastes, he would have died laughing. He came from a blue-collar family in an agricultural district. While they were certainly never in want for anything, there definitely wasn’t anything left over after the bills had been paid. It was a modest but happy life cut too short by the death of his parents. He still vividly remembered being pulled from class and driven to the hospital. They had gotten sick from GDDM exposure at work. A leak in the pipes. There was nothing the doctors could do for them. He spent their final days at their bedsides in the hospital, waiting for the inevitable. He was thirteen. His world collapsed.

Then government officials came and placed him in an orphanage close to the capitol. He wallowed in anger for months until bit by bit that anger transformed into fierce determination. Those doctors that couldn’t do anything? He was going to become a doctor that could. And that was exactly what he did. He spent every waking moment with a tablet in front of his eyes, absorbing every piece of information until he could quote the reports, textbooks, and trials back verbatim. The headmaster had him tested and was subsequently sent to a science school on a scholarship. He excelled and when he graduated, continued on to Starfleet Science Academy on another scholarship for medicine.

It was during his time as a graduate student that a treatment was developed by the U.S.S. Savior’s medical department for the same poison that had taken his parents. He was surprised to find that even though the spark for his crusade had been resolved, his love and passion for the medical field still flared bright. Brighter, even. He knew with absolute certainty that he needed to find a way onto the U.S.S. Newton, a fledgling star ship that was tasked with the procurement and analyses of microorganisms, lifeforms, elements and so forth from newly discovered planets. The Newton was also tasked with a multitude of other duties and missions from the Federation. However, that wasn’t his area. Half the ship belonged to science and academia and the other half to soldiers and diplomats. He never paid the other half any attention unless he was needed. When Kihyun left the ship, it was generally to present research, provide vaccinations to a village, or treat an outbreak somewhere. Thankfully, the amount of times he’s had to gallivant into dangerous situations with the likes of Captain Hyunwoo, Commander Lee or Lieutenant Chae could be counted on one hand. He was more than content to treat the crew and civilians onboard and commit himself to research.

Out of the 638 Starfleet medical graduates that applied for Chief Medical Officer, he was chosen. Then Lee Minhyuk, his best friend, his family, was selected for the science department. He remembered Minhyuk barging into their dorm announcing his acceptance as Chief Science Officer. They’d held each other, jumping up and down on the bed, popped champagne and celebrated into the morning.

Now, at twenty-four, he was the happiest he’d ever been. He was doing what he loved every day. He followed his own interests and led his own research. Over time, he even allowed his family to expand beyond Minhyuk. Life couldn’t be more perfect and with his leave officially underway, he had the next four days to do as he pleased. And he would, right after he completed his three hours of community service tomorrow morning. He poured another glass and grimaced. Honestly, who got detention at 24 years old? They even made him wear an orange apron. It reminded him of the inmates he used to see picking up trash on the highway back home. He wasn’t a criminal, he was a doctor, a good one at that. It’s not like it was his fault that man needed immediate attention as a hurricane of acid rain was approaching. ‘Return to the ship immediately. That’s an order.’ Really, Captain? Captain Son ought to know better by now. Regardless, he’s been paying for saving that man’s life for the past month.


	2. It's a Work Dinner

“Oh my god, Ki. Just pick one already,” said Minhyuk, sprawled over Kihyun’s covers. He’s been watching his friend slide hangers back and forth in the closet for the past ten minutes.

Kihyun huffed, fingers hesitating, before pulling a white V-neck tee off the hanger and over his head.

“After all that, a tee-shirt?”

“I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard,” Kihyun said defensively.

“To get laid? It’s a sure thing, Ki. Dr. Dongwook is coming from earth just to have dinner with you across the galaxy. That’s expensive.”

“It’s a work dinner,” Kihyun countered.

Minhyuk rolled his eyes. “You made reservations at a hotel restaurant. He knows what’s up.”

“Hey. I highly respect Dr. Dongwook’s insight and perspective on the research I’m doing. In fact, I don’t want to move forward until I have his expert opinion. Am I hoping for something more? God yes, but it is most definitely not a sure thing. We’ve only done this once before and it was right after his divorce. He might regret it now.” Kihyun bit his lip, examining his form in the mirror. “Are these jeans too much? Maybe I should have stuck with the slacks.” They were super thin and tight, didn’t leave much to the imagination. More like leggings, really. He shook his head. No, these weren’t appropriate for a dinner. He returned to the closet.

Minhyuk grabbed his shirt. “No, stop. Your ass looks good. I’m just saying, you always over-complicate sex. You’re an adult. Just be upfront. ‘Ask and thou shalt receive.’ Then you won’t need to wait until your next project to get that hole plowed. I’ve been worried that hole of yours has closed up completely just like your belly piercing.”

“Don’t be so crude. I’m not like you, not that there’s anything wrong with your lifestyle. You do you,” he assured. “But me? I can’t fall into bed with anybody. For starters, I have to like them. Secondly, I have to trust them. Two things that don’t happen easily and hardly ever together. I don’t know how to have meaningless sex. I need some kind of connection, like Dongwook. I’ve had a crush on him for years, I trust him completely, and I have feelings for him. It doesn’t have to lead anywhere, but it’s nice. Intimate. You should try it.”

“Ditto. Don’t knock it till you try it, babe. Sex with strangers is exciting. ‘Ma always said life is like a box of chocolates. Never know what you’re gonna get.’”

Kihyun laughed and threw a box of tissues at his best friend, which he deftly dodged. Minhyuk was definitely a free spirit. Too free sometimes. “Exactly. What you’re going to get is a disease. Don’t come crying to me when your balls turn green and start shriveling.”

“Oh my god, is that a thing that can happen?” Minhyuk asked, horrified.

“You betcha,” Kihyun lied. He dabbed a subtle stain on his lips with his pinky and double-checked the smoky gray lining his lids.

Minhyuk sat up on the edge of the bed and reached out to smack his bum. “So, how does the esteemed Dr. Dongwook like your Bemonian ass? Did he know or was it a surprise?”

Kihyun smiled wickedly. “Of course he knew. He was my advisor, had my file. However, he definitely didn’t know the extent of my inherited traits. That, he found out firsthand.”

“And?”

Kihyun blew out a breath. “Uh. Let’s just say Dr. Dongwook is the type to lick his plate clean. He doesn’t like to waste anything.”

Minhyuk sighed. “You really need to capitalize on that dick. If my dick was magical like yours, it’d bring all the boys and girls to the yard. Not that I want to trade. I’m very attached to my dick and so is everyone else.”

“Trust me. I’m well aware of just how many people that dick has been attached to. You tell me in great detail.”

“You love it and you know it,” Minhyuk said.

Kihyun shrugged. He couldn’t deny it. Minhyuk’s exploits were hot and Kihyun’s sex life was sadly lacking.

He was one-fourth Bemonian, courtesy of his late grandfather, whom he had never met. Bebemon was a secretive planet, and they kept to themselves. They are generally known for their pale luminous skin. Their other traits, thankfully, are less commonly known: hairless bodies, eyes that turn blue and bodies that run hotter under intense emotion, increased nerve endings at the male anus, and the production of a totally unnecessary amount of thin, sweet precum. He inherited some things more than others. He looked human, but sometimes people would look at his skin, wondering what was off. Minhyuk said it was because he was unfairly radiant. His eyes shifted ice blue, not the rich cerulean of pure Bemonians. Hairless? Yes. The heated body under stress or duress? Check. The excess of precum and overly sensitive rim. Double check. Puberty was a bitch and back then, he cursed that part of himself. As he grew up and came into his sexuality though, he came to love it, especially because the men he’d been with went crazy for it.

His last time with Dongwook flashed behind his eyes. He grabbed his messenger bag. “I’m getting nervous. Wish me luck. If you see me in the cafeteria tonight drowning my sorrows in rocky road, just pretend I’m not there and let me wallow.”

“Whatever. I know for a fact you won’t be back till morning and, honestly, thank god. You could really use a good dicking. I saw one of your interns leaving Dr. Im’s office this morning all tears and snot. It was gross.” Minhyun got up from the bed and squished Kihyun’s cheeks together. “And there will never be a time I let you eat ice cream alone.”

It was hard to talk through squished cheeks, but he did his best. “That moron almost contaminated the ship with a mutation of the black plague. I should have fired him.”

\--

Dr. Dongwook took off his glasses and set the tablet on the table. “These numbers are incredible, Kihyun. I really think you’re onto something.”

Dr. Lee Dongwook. Kihyun’s former pathology professor. Tall. Big hands. Bedroom eyes. Brilliant. Devious. The man that starred in nearly all his fantasies during the Academy. Of course, at that time he was a student and Dr. Dongwook was happily married. It wouldn’t have made a difference if he wasn’t. He never would have approached a professor in that way. He smiled widely. Now, he was no longer a student and Dr. Dongwook was no longer married. He drank him in from across the table praying those long, thick fingers would be on and in him later.

“Kihyun?”

He jumped. Shit, was he staring? Kihyun cleared his throat. “And, do you agree with the next phase or would you do something differently? I was considering adding another control group.”

“No, I’d be running the same course you are. Don’t over-complicate it.” He sat back and examined Kihyun slowly from across the table, a smile spreading. “But, you know, this all could have been done through a call, or an email, or a teleconference.” Kihyun tensed as Dongwook’s sock-clad foot slid up the back of his calf under the table then up his inner thigh, stopping just shy of his groin. “Was there something else you needed me to review? Something that requires a more…hands-on analysis?” He pressed the sole of his foot against his groin.

Kihyun shivered. “Yes,” he breathed.

Dongwook’s eyes twinkled. “Safe words, Dr. Yoo.”

Confusion halted Kihyun. “Green, yellow, red.” It came out as more of a question. Why was he asking already? They hadn’t even booked a room yet.

Dongwook, cool as a cucumber, began rubbing Kihyun’s crotch with his foot. Kihyun gripped the table, shocked and alarmed. Against his better judgement, he said nothing and instead got lost in the sensation. It felt too good. It had been so long since anyone touched him. His cheeks heated, and he unconsciously rocked against his foot, eyes falling closed. He hummed in pleasure, focusing on the friction. He was already getting hard, could feel the first drops of precum wet his dick and seep into jeans. It was so good. His mouth fell open, slack. He was completely unaware that Dongwook had stopped moving his foot and that he was moving against it under the table. There was a loud clash of cutlery and his eyes flew open. Shit. What was he doing? They were in public.

“D-Dongwook, please. Let’s get a room. I can’t…hng,” he stuttered as Dongwook continued his ministrations again, not letting up.

“You better not be getting wet already, Dr. Yoo. Wasting that sweetness in your underwear. I’m going to lick and suck…every…last...drop.” He punctuated each word with a firmer rub against him that him squirming.

A flush ran up Kihyun’s neck. He was on the verge of sweating. “Oh my god,” he mouthed. He looked around the restaurant, paranoid. The restaurant was busy, every table taken. They were seated at a booth set with a long tablecloth. Round tables were positioned close to them. Most tables were filled with businessmen and business women, letting loose after work. There was a couple in the booth behind him and in front of him. Nobody was looking at them. He met Dongwook’s eyes, ready to see how this would play out. “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

A pleased smile spread across Dongwook’s face. “So naughty, Kihyun. Did you come to my classroom without underwear, too? Did you hope I would notice?” Dongwook shook his foot against him.

Kihyun jerked. “Mmh. Ah…a few times. Felt good against my skin,” he confessed. He licked his lips.

Dongwook looked at him with mock disappointment. “Well now, it seems we have a problem. Dress code stipulates appropriate underclothes. Uniform infractions are not to be taken lightly, Mr. Yoo. You may no longer be my student, but as your mentor, I would be doing you a disservice letting you get away with disrespecting the rules and code of conduct of Starfleet. How should we remedy that?” Dongwook slipped his foot under his crotch and back, pushing up between his ass cheeks.

Kihyun threw his head back from the shock of it, too startled to hold in the moan. A table of businessmen to their left looked at him and Kihyun stared back, lost and flushed. There was no way they didn’t know something was up. They were eyeing him up and down. He didn’t think they could see exactly what was happening given the tablecloth, but still. He was so ashamed. Strangely, it also made Kihyun ten times hotter. Unable to stop himself, he moved his ass against the foot. He tore his eyes away from the men and back to Dongwook. “Anything. Jesus, anything. Do whatever you want to me. Let’s go upstairs. I’ll be so good for you.”

“Yes, you will.” Dongwook angled his foot to the side so that it slid further into his cleft. His pants were so thin, he felt the pressure directly against his hole. Kihyun whimpered. He experimentally moved against it as discreetly as possible. Under the table cloth, he gripped Dongwook right above his ankle as leverage.

Dongwook hailed the waitress. “We’re ready for the check.” Kihyun stopped moving. It was too hot in here.

The young waitress smiled. “Of course. I’ll bring it right away. Did you save room for dessert? Maybe some ice cream?” She looked at Kihyun with concern. “Or even an ice water? You look hot, dear.”

“Oh. He’s fine. Actually, he’s going to make dessert for me real soon. Aren’t you, dear?” Dongwook started shaking his foot and it sent vibrations up Kihyun.

“Unnh-Yes!” He said that entirely too loud. The men stared at him again. Or were they watching him this whole time?

The waitress looked at him oddly. “Well, I’ll be right back.”

Dongwook began torturing him. Pressing up against him, then releasing. Over and over. “Is your hole getting sore? Sore, but you can’t stop grinding down. You need it bad, don’t you? I could tell the moment you sat down, vibrating with it. How long has it been for you? Surely, not since me. When?”

Kihyun was getting lost, trying to pay attention. When? What?

Dongwook stopped, taking a swig from the glass of wine. “Kihyun, when was your last time?”

Kihyun bit his lip, watching those fingers wrap around the glass. “Since the convention, with you.”

Dongwook appeared to like that answer. “You have a hard-on for my hands, don’t you? Wouldn’t stop staring at them all throughout dinner. That’s quite rude, you know. Jesus, look at you. You’re doing it again. Look at me, Kihyun.”

Kihyun snapped his eyes up, quivering and confused.

“There you are. What do you want these hands to do?”

Kihyuns ass cheeks squeezed the foot in between them involuntarily at the thought. He started to move again. “I want…oh, god, I want you to run them all over me. Want them to put me wherever you want me to be.” Kihyun jerked. “Need them inside me.”

“You’re being so good, Kihyun. I’ll tell you what. I’ll let you lick these fingers right now, but after, you have to promise to watch those men until the check comes.”

Kihyun froze, eyes wide.

Dongwook put the glass down. “Where are you? Red?”

Fuck. This was all kinds of wrong. ‘But…,’ he thought. It’s not like he would ever see these people again. It was just a little game. Kihyun shook his head frantically at Dongwook’s inquiry. He wanted something in him somewhere. It was worth it. “Green.”

Dongwook dipped his index and middle fingers in his wine glass then brought them about a foot before Kihyun’s lips, waiting. Kihyun leaned forward. His ass lifted from the foot in order to reach them and he licked at the pads of the fingers.

“All the way, Kihyun,” Dongwood said.

Kihyun wrapped his lips around the digits and sucked his way down to his knuckles, running his tongue over the thick, long fingers inside. He heard a ‘Fuck’ somewhere in the vicinity and he trembled. A small gush leaked from his slit. Dongwook playfully mapped his mouth with his fingers. Pushing at his cheek from the inside, sliding around his tongue, brushing his knuckles against the roof of his mouth, teasing his gag reflex.

“So good.” Dongwook started to move them back and forth, thrusting into his mouth sloppily. Sometimes it would go straight back, other times it pushed out at his check. Kihyun’s mouth filled with saliva and it coated his lips.

“Soon, I’ll be pumping these fingers in another hole. Would you like that?” Kihyun hummed and nodded. He missed the pressure against his asshole. “Show me and those men watching how much you want it.” He pressed his fingers down on his tongue. Kihyun quietly moaned around them and gave a very hard suck. It slurped loudly. Kihyun flushed harder, embarrassed. More precum dribbled out of him. This was so depraved. Dongwook removed them. A string of saliva followed his retreating fingers.

“Now sit back down and look at them. Rub that hungry hole.”

Kihyun’s stomach was fluttering with fire, embarrassment and nerves. He positioned himself back down on the side his foot. It was even better this time. The curve of his foot filled the cleft so fully. He looked at the business men and his belly swooped. Their eyes were already glued to him. They looked away at first, maybe embarrassed at being caught. Dongwook pressed his foot up to remind him to move. Kihyun slid forward on the foot and shuddered still watching them. Dongwook’s heel pressed deliciously against his balls on each forward motion.

“Don’t press those lips together,” Dongwook ordered.

Kihyun nodded and panted through his slack mouth. He continued to watch the men, who didn’t know where to look. At him. At each other. At their food. He had to keep wetting his now dry lips. A particularly good slide brought a hoarse “Oh!” from his lips. The men took that as an invitation to openly watch him and they didn’t look away this time.

“You getting off on those men eye-fucking you?” Dongwook asked. “You make quite a picture. You should see yourself. Subtlety is definitely not your strong suit,” he grinned.

“You’re so clearly riding my foot of all things. They know exactly what you’re doing. I wonder what they’re thinking right now, watching you so desperately writhe on my foot. Maybe they want to shove you under their table and push their cocks past those pretty red lips. Maybe they want to bend you over and relieve their aching pricks in that oh so welcoming hole of yours. Your nipples are hard, did you know? That shirt is so thin, I can see their pointy pinkness. I wonder if they can too. Poor bastards, they’ll never know how sensitive those little buds are. I bet they’ll go home to their partners tonight and fuck them good, picturing you underneath them. Would you like that? Are you enjoying the power you have over them? You can’t see it, but that man on the left? He’s palming himself. Can’t take his eyes off you. Can’t say I blame him. You’re exquisite. Do you think they’re the only ones watching you? They’re not. Poor teenager had to excuse himself when you sucked my fingers down. Ran off to the bathroom. He’s probably jerking off right now to the thought of you. There’s a couple behind you too. I wonder if they can hear you. You’re so much louder than you think, Kihyun.”

Kihyun stopped moving and turned even redder, beyond embarrassed.

“Hey, don’t stop. You said you’d do anything I wanted. That you’d be so good. Keep going.” He pressed his foot up, applying pressure again. Kihyun gasped and bit out a broken whimper but started moving again. The rough friction against his hole was driving him mad. His eyes drifted back to the businessmen. Their eyes on him nearly threw him over the edge, but he found that he couldn’t and didn’t want to look away from them.

The waitress returned with the check. Kihyun finally stopped, trembling.

“It’s been a pleasure serving you.” She looked at Kihyun expectantly. “So, what dessert are you going to make your boyfriend?”

Dongwook tilted his foot from side to side. A new kind of mind-numbing friction. It caused his body to sway as if riding a horse. He couldn’t imagine what he looked like right now.

“Wha-Hng…um, I don’t know, yet.” He panted.

“Yes, you do, darling” Dongwook chided, “He’s making cream puffs, so soft and delicate, but the highlight is the glaze he pours over them. It’s divine. Glistening, light and sweet. Once you taste it, you just can’t stop.” Dongwook brought his other socked foot up and started rubbing his crotch again.

Kihyun moaned and it carried to the tables surrounding them. New eyes looked at him. He was breathing so heavily. Sweat dampened his hairline and neck.

Startled, the waitress looked back at Kihyun. “Oh, wow. Sounds delicious. Wish I could have a taste. I bet it’s a real hit at parties. Everyone fighting for a piece before it’s all gone.”

Dongwook grinned. “You bet, every bit of sticky sweetness licked clean until there’s nothing left.”

“Could you give me the recipe if it’s not too much trouble? I have a shower next weekend. Signed up for dessert.”

Dongwook laughed, continuing his torment under the table. He was having way too much fun. “Oh. This little one. He’s so greedy, hardly shares it with anybody. Isn’t that right, dear?”

Kihyun was moments away from coming undone at the double assault. Little sounds escaped his mouth with each exhale and he continually bit down on his lip to stop them. He squeezed his thighs around the foot against his crotch, trying to stop it. He was seriously about to come from a foot.

“Oh. I understand. Family recipe, perhaps? You two have a good night now.” She placed the check on the table and left for another table.

“Kihyun, my sock feels wet. Are you so hard-up that you’re going to come on my feet? In front of the whole the restaurant? Your eyes just changed, baby. You really are close.” Dongwook kicked up the speed.

Kihyun was almost shaking at this point. He was twitching, trying to fight the impending orgasm. His head hit the back of the booth and lolled to the side. His eyes met the men again, who were very openly staring at him, hungry. He could see the man on the right widen his legs, slip his hand under the table, and close his eyes. He had to let go, couldn’t fight it anymore. “Dongwook,” Kihyun whispered, “I’m going to come.”

Dongwook immediately removed his feet. Kihyun gasped in relief and despair. “Not yet.”

The absence was jarring. Kihyun sagged against the table.

“You’re being punished, remember? I’m going to make you work so very hard tonight, Kihyun. You think this was difficult? It’s just the beginning. I hope you’re ready.”

Dongwook left money under the check and went to him, helping him up. “Oh my, that’s quite a little problem you have there and,” Dongwook brushed the back of his hand against him, “you’ve completely wet your pants.” He tutted. “It’s a good thing you wore black or this could have been even more embarrassing.” He reached around Kihyun to pull at the fabric around his butt. It had gotten stuck between his ass cheeks. He kissed the top of his head. “Say goodbye to your admirers. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

Standing on jelly legs, Kihyun looked at the table of businessmen. They were grinning at him. Fuck. This was so embarrassing, but he felt like he was riding a high. He looked down at himself, obviously aroused and the wet spot at his front not as nicely hidden as Dongwook suggested. He was wet. It may not be noticeable in the dim restaurant lighting, but the lobby would be a different matter. After a few shaky steps, Dongwook threw an arm around him and guided him out of the restaurant and into the lobby.

At the reception desk, Kihyun let Dongwook book the room. He pressed his front against his side out of neediness and a desire to hide the embarrassment stamped on his front. Dongwook soothingly ran his hand up and down Kihyun’s back during the transaction and Kihyun melted into him. The professor slipped the key card into Kihyun’s back pocket and he walked him to the elevator.

“You go on ahead. I’ll be up in few. Just need to make a couple calls, move a couple things around.” He took his face into his hands. “You, dear, are going to take me all night long. You’ll probably need a refresher course in the morning too.” He swiped his thumb across Kihyun’s mouth.

“Promise?” Kihyun smiled cheekily.

Dongwook leaned down to kiss him, licking at his lips. Kihyun opened for him and met his advances, throwing his arms around his neck and leaning up into the kiss. Dongwook groaned and wrapped his arms around his smaller frame, taking control of the kiss and moving him up against the elevator doors. Dongwook pressed the button for the elevator then brought his hand between them and slipped his fingers into the front of Kihyun jeans. Kihyun jolted back from the kiss, gasping, and looked around frantically. With Dongwook’s larger frame covering him and his own back to the wall, it only looked like they were hugging. Dongwook’s fingers ran along his slippery length in the limited confines of his jeans and then he just slipped his fingers back out. Kihyun felt betrayed, but relieved. The doors opened and Dongwook gently pushed him in as he brought his other fingers to his mouth, licking. “You be a good boy and reflect on your actions. Don’t touch yourself. I’ll know.” The doors closed on a gaping Kihyun.

Kihyun waited in room 408, anxious and giddy. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took off his boots and socks. Fuck it, he thought, tugging off his tee-shirt and belt. If they had all night, they could go fast then slow it down. Kihyun was confident he could make Dongwook lose control and take him fast. He looked in the mirror and fluffed his hair up. He already looked fucked-out. Rummaging through his bag, he reapplied the stain to his lips and took a swig from a water bottle.

What was taking him so long? Kihyun would never admit it aloud, but Minhyuk was right. He really did need a good fucking. Needed to feel someone else’s hands on his skin other than his own. It’s been eleven months since has was last laid and eleven months ago it was Dongwook too. It was a night he’d never forget. One he was itching to repeat. Just like in the classroom, Dr. Dongwook had an air of authority and command in the bedroom. He expected an excellent performance from his star pupil and was not shy about correcting him until he met those near impossible standards. He was so wrecked after beaming back to the ship that last time. He had endured a particularly slow walk of shame back to his quarters with a slight limp and ass cheeks smarting from those relentless corrections. It was humiliating, but well worth it, even if the Captain, Commander Lee and Lieutenant Chae stopped their conversation to watch his stilted progress down the hall, Kihyun’s face as red as his ass.

Hyungwon was always annoyingly right. He’d been the one to point out his weakness for authority figures. Teased him about it at every opportunity. Kihyun didn’t believe him at first, never having really analyzed himself in that way before. He’d only been with three people and that included his one time Lee Dongwook. However, after joining the Newton, his fantasies of Dr. Dongwook bending him over a desk were replaced one by one with Captain Son reprimanding him in far more interesting ways than community service. Kihyun had come up with a lot of inventive ways too: like warming his cock inside his mouth while the captain did paperwork at his desk, drool sliding down his neck and onto the floor because he wasn’t allowed to swallow; straddling and riding his uniformed captain completely naked at his chair on the command deck; the captain ordering him to drop pants and bend over while he phaser shocked his ass for not obeying, his cock obscenely dripping into a puddle on the floor; having to get down on the ground in the cafeteria and ride the captain’s calf to completion while he just ate, not even acknowledging his presence; tying him up in the captain’s cabin so he was forced to watch Hyunwoo fuck his girlfriend, unable to touch himself.

So, he was a bit of an exhibitionist in his fantasies. Hyungwon called that too. Not that he’d ever engaged in any exhibition until just a few moments ago. It was shameful. He couldn’t believe he just did that downstairs or that he got off on those men watching him. It was just as hot in real life as it was in his head. That was dangerous. Minhyuk was going to have a field day with this.

The fantasies of the Captain were pretty unrealistic. Captain Son might be somewhat stern, he was the son of two generals after all, but he was exceedingly warm with the crew. Kihyun imagined him to be an athletic and generous lover. However, he had heard some colorful rumors of how rough and intense his encounters with Captain Hyolin were. That he was the only man capable of turning that amazon of a woman into putty.

They stemmed from the fact that Kihyun was hungry for his captain’s attention. It felt like Captain Son was close with everybody but him. Sure, they talked now and then, but it was professional. It wasn’t the way he fooled around with Jooheon, Minhyuk, Hoseok, Changkyun and Hyungwon. When Captain Son did pay attention to him, it generally came in the form of reprimands. Ergo, kinky fantasies. The funny thing was, those dirty fantasies always shimmered into something embarrassingly sweet the closer he got to climax: Hyunwoo over him in bed, deeply fucking into him, kissing his neck while murmuring compliments against his ear, Kihyun clutching onto him, shaking. He played that one out so many times now that if the Captain ever did pay him a compliment, he’d probably wet his uniform.

Fuck, he was hard again. He palmed himself through the pants. When he pulled his hand away, it was damp. He was so slippery inside his pants. That spectacle downstairs had him soaked. He felt precum all over his dick, his balls, the crevices of his thighs and it spread up between his ass cheeks when he was riding Dongwook’s foot earlier. The pants absorbed some of it, but he was really just standing in a mess. Shit. Should he take his pants off? Dongwook might think he touched himself. Did he care?

A knock sounded and Kihyun did his best not to run to the door. He threw open the door with a wide smile. “What took you-“

Over the course of the next few seconds, Kihyun realized two things. One, none of those men were Dr. Dongwook. Two, Kihyun was neither fast nor strong enough to close the door on them.

The door was forcefully pushed back despite Kihyun’s resistance and his back and head slammed into the wall. The bottom of the door dug into his foot and the handle rammed into his stomach. He toppled to the ground. An older man closed the door and leaned in front of it as the other two men approached him. Kihyun stumbled to his feet and was pushed back down to the floor. He landed on his hands and knees. The bulkier man shoved him onto his back and sat on top of him. The taller man held his wrists to the floor above his head. The one atop him applied a breathing mask to his face attached to a steel cylinder with one hand and pressed against his forehead with the other to keep his head straight. Kihyun fought, trying to buck him off, trying to get his hands free. He held his breath for as long as he could but couldn’t hold it any longer. He inhaled deeply, desperately. It smelled sweet. He panicked further, trying to turn his face away and dislodge the mask, but the man held him in place. Another breath. His arms and hands stopped struggling as his surroundings were framed in expanding blackness. One more breath. Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my word, what did I write? If you're not familiar with Lee Dongwook, he is an actor from Starship Ent. You may have seen him as the grim reaper in Goblin. You won't regret looking him up.


	3. FML

“Captain to the bridge.”

Hyunwoo sighed, in the middle of reviewing and signing off on various departmental requests and reports. He stepped down onto the command deck from the ready room.

“Sir. You’re being hailed by the Thalos IV police. I’ll connect you.”

Hyunwoo waited for the main viewer. A woman in uniform greeted him. “Captain Son. Hello. I’m Sargent Scarlet Playte of the Akleron Police Division. Can you confirm that Dr. Yoo Kihyun is a member of your crew?”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself. He heard Hyungwon let out a heavy, beleaguered sigh. His blood pressure was already rising, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. What kind of trouble did Dr. Yoo stir up this time? The man was on leave for god’s sake. Dammit, if he’s at some hospital telling another doctor how to do his job again, Hyunwoo would have words with his officer. Serious fucking words.

He smoothed his face and looked back at Sargant Playte. “Affirmative. He’s our Chief Medical Officer. What is this about?”

“I’m sorry to inform you that there appears to have been…foul play at Hotel Althena. It looks like abduction. Althena’s transporters are on standby to receive you and your team for investigation.”

That stopped Hyunwoo short. Abduction? “We’ll be there presently, Sargent Playte.”

“Liuetenant Chae, you have the bridge. Page Commander Hoseok and Ensign Avery to meet me at transport.”

Hyungwon stood. “Yes, Captain.”

\--

Sargent Playte was waiting for them when they beamed in. She nodded in greeting. “Captain Son, if you’ll follow me.”

They took the glass elevator to the fourth floor and Playte filled them in on the way. It was a nice hotel. Expensive. A typical choice for Dr. Yoo.

Rounding the hall on the fourth floor, a couple police officials guarded a door. A distraught, but attractive man sat out of the way against the wall holding a bag of ice to his head. Hyunwoo knew Kihyun wasn’t in that room, but his gut clenched with what they might find inside.

They followed Sargant Playte into the room. Ensign Avery whistled. An expensive room for an expensive hotel. It was spacious, opulent. At the far end of the room stretched a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the city nightlife. A king-size bed on a raised dais dominated the room. Down a few stairs on the right was an entertainment center with a refrigerator, black leather couch and wide-screen viewer. A bottle of champagne and two glasses rested on a sleek black table, unopened.

Sargant Playte cleared her throat. “As Dr. Yoo is a Starfleet officer, it is his home vessel’s obligation to conduct the official investigation but please let us know if we may assist you. We are familiar with the criminal activity in this city. We haven’t touched anything in here. The security feed for the whole day was swiped, unfortunately. They weren’t able to recover anything, but you’re welcome to have your people take a look.”

“Thank you, Sargant.” They accepted the box of gloves from her. Hyunwoo nodded his thanks, and she cleared the room.

His eyes immediately went to the blood on the pristine white carpet. He squatted down and recognized a tracking chip thrown to side of the bloodstain. By the foot of the bed were boots and socks. A neatly folded white tee-shirt and coiled belt rested on the edge of the cream duvet. Kihyun’s brown leather messenger bag was discarded on an ornate chair in the corner.

Hyunwoo walked back to the entrance. “Dr. Lee Dongwook?”

“Yes, sir.” Dongwook stood, leaving the ice pack on the floor, and approached him. He was sporting a nasty bump above his left temple. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

“Can you apprise me of the evening?” Hyunwoo watched the doctor’s eyes drift to the bloodstain in the room and he appeared upset. Tell me about it, Hyunwoo thought. Hoseok stood at his side and observed the doctor closely, arms crossed.

“Yes. I met Dr. Yoo for dinner at 7:00 at Lucia, the restaurant downstairs. At maybe 8:30, we booked a room. We parted ways at the elevator. I had a couple calls to make, so I went outside to the gardens. I wasn’t out there for more than ten minutes. When I exited the elevator on the fourth floor, someone struck me. I woke up in room 403. It was after 9:00 at that point. I went to 408, saw the blood, Kihyun’s things and called security.”

“Did Dr. Yoo mention anything concerning to you?” Hyunwoo questioned.

“No, sir. Shop talk, research, catching up, mostly.”

“Can you describe who struck you? How many?” Hoseok inquired.

“Just one? I’m not certain. I didn’t see it coming.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Very well. Ensign Avery, take Dr. Dongwook to sick bay. Have medical look at that head. Dr. Dongwook, if you wouldn’t mind staying aboard for a while. In case we have more questions.”

“Of course, anything.” Dongwook and Avery left down the hall.

Hyunwoo shut the door for privacy and looked to Hoseok. “What are you thinking, Commander Lee?”

“I don’t like him. He seems...uncomfortable and his words sound practiced. To be fair, that could be because he was already questioned by security and the police. Also, he’s a bit old for Kihyun.” Hoseok said.

“Noted,” Hyunwoo said dryly. “I meant the room. What’s your take?”

Hoseok gestured to the room at large. “This was efficiently executed. It’s not as if someone just happened to see Dr. Yoo downstairs and decided to follow and take him on a whim. He was specifically targeted. Can’t help but wonder how they knew he’d be at this hotel. But the real question, why him? Granted, he’s a celebrated doctor, but…”

“You believe this has something to do with our activities,” Hyunwoo surmised.

Hoseok looked out the window and to the city below. “Don’t you? Kihyun could be leverage against us. We’ve been careful and lucky these past two years, but we’ve made enemies. Or, someone may have caught on to what it is we do. Taking a figure like Dr. Yoo isn’t something that can be swept under the rug. It requires a response, an action. They have the advantage.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “It was my first thought after stepping in here. But then, paranoia goes hand in hand with what we do. We need to consider every angle. Barring X, why would somebody take him?”

Hoseok pushed away from the window. “Surgery? A jealous ex-lover? Ransom? However, considering where we are, and I hate to even voice it, sex trafficking. We surveilled the underground market for the missing vaccine cargo today. The sex trade is easily the most lucrative business down there. One with perhaps the widest assortment I’ve ever seen. Someone with a discerning eye would be able to tell he’s Bemonian. Hybrids are popular nowadays. It would make him an expensive and rare commodity. Still, unless he was walking the city long before he arrived for dinner, I doubt that’s the case. There wouldn’t have been time to prepare.” Hoseok said.

Hyunwoo paled at the thought of Dr. Yoo held captive in some seedy brothel. He went to Kihyun’s bag and looked through it: a tablet, cell, perfume, hand phaser, a few toiletries, a water bottle. “No purchases. He must have come directly here. It’s unlikely Kihyun would have been out there and not bought something. I’ll look at his bank history to be sure though.”

Hyunwoo blew out a breath. Time to delegate. “Alright. Lead a team down to search any likely places. I’ll have Dr. Im question Dr. Lee Dongwook more closely onboard. Lieutenant Chae can monitor any ships that left the past hour. When you get back, assuming you don’t find him, we’ll hold a council meeting in the war room and an X meeting afterwards. I want this resolved, preferably before sunup.”

He picked up the tee-shirt from the bed, glanced at the bag on the chair. The bag that held the doctor’s Starfleet issue phaser. Whatever the case, somewhere out there, a completely vulnerable Kihyun was at the mercy of his captors. Dr. Yoo, whose extracurricular activities consisted of things like yoga, photography and dancing the night away. A man who didn’t know how or when to keep that pretty mouth shut, always pushing too far. Hyunwoo was infinitely more worried than his face let on.

—

Kihyun woke up in a fog of confusion. The first things he registered was that it was cold and that his arm stung. His eyes adjusted to the bright overhead lighting.

“Morning, sweetheart. Get your beauty sleep?” a man asked. He was a weathered-looking man in black. The man at the door. Kihyun’s eyes darted to the others, seven he could see. He realized he was on a ship. That fact scared him more than the men. Kihyun got the impression that this was a smaller ship. He was on the floor, several feet away from the man in black. The other men worked at various stations on the bridge. He sat up, wincing at the ache in his stomach and stiffness in his back.

“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” Kihyun asked.

The man smiled as though he got this question all the time. He probably did. “You can call me Flynn. Don’t worry about where you’re going. It’s not important. I apologize for interrupting your little rendezvous back there. Poor thing, you were in quite a state.” He eyed Kihyun’s crotch knowingly. “But, time is money, and we were contracted to bring you in.”

Kihyun bristled and drew his legs closer. “By who?” He examined his forearm. A jagged cut lazily oozed blood. They removed his tracking chip. Shit.

“All you need to know is that your medical expertise is required.”

Kihyun lifted his arm. “What the hell did you use? Scrap metal?”

Flynn shrugged. “What’s it matter? You were unconscious. You couldn’t feel it.”

“I can fucking feel it now. Hand me that.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to the emergency medical kit up on the wall.

Flynn indulged him, getting up and holding it out to him.

Kihyun skimmed the contents. “See this? It’s called a scalpel.”

He tossed it back into the kit. “Damn butcher,” he muttered. He pulled out supplies and cleaned the wound, applied a coagulant with a Q-tip, and wrapped it. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Flynn, trying to reason with him. “Look, if a patient needs care, and facilities or services are not available, then you make a request to the Federation and they send a qualified doctor. It doesn’t work this way.”

“It does today,” Flynn said, bored.

Kihyun made to stand-up.

“Uh-uh. Stay seated or you’ll be restrained,” Flynn stated.

Kihyun sat back down with a huff. “How much are you being paid? Maybe I can counter-offer.”

Flynn and a few of the crew laughed. “It’s a bit outside your price-range, darling.”

There were some days when Kihyun just couldn’t believe his life. This one easily took the cake. Cockblocked by kidnapping. If he wasn’t so freaked out, it would almost be funny.

“This is illegal. And stupid. By now, the authorities and my ship will know I’m missing. Take me back. You can’t just kidnap people, cut them open. You’re going to be caught and imprisoned. Do you know I’m a Starfleet Officer? Do you know how bad this will be for you? You must be either dumb or insane.”

“They can look all they want. They’re not going to find you until we want you to be found. You belong to our contractor until he’s done with you.” Flynn went back to his tablet.

“The man I was with, is he okay?”

Flynn closed his eyes in a practice of patience. “Man, I liked you a lot better when you were unconscious.”

“Did you hurt him? I swear-“

Flynn interrupted. “You swear? What will you do, sweetheart? Talk me to death? Calm down. Your man is fine. Now, be quiet. It’s been a long day.”

He had too many questions to stay quiet. “How long until we get there? What am I expected to do?”

Flynn ignored him.

“Can you at least tell what’s going to happen?” Kihyun rose and approached him, needing answers. He didn’t like the unexpected or being unprepared. It made him nervous.

“Jesus, kid. Relax. You’re going to treat a patient and then we will drop you back home safe and sound. It’s simple.” Flynn rolled his eyes and rummaged through the console next to him. 

“What if I can’t help the patient? What’s wrong with them?”

Flynn finally procured what he was looking for and stood up before Kihyun, dangling them before his face. “Should have stayed seated. Wrists.” he commanded.

Kihyun looked at the handcuffs and considered refusing, but the look on Flynn’s face showed that he was done humoring him. He held out his wrists. “Not too tight, please.”

Flynn clasped and closed the cuffs over his wrists and pushed him down to seated position not far from his chair. “To answer your question, I have no clue what’s wrong with him. We’re just the courier. Now shut up and don’t be a pest or I’ll find some other use for that busy mouth of yours.”

Kihyun reared back in shock and disgust. He looked down at himself, reminded yet again of the lack of clothing. Flynn’s statement seemed to draw the other men’s attention. It was very much unwanted this time. Their eyes lingered on him and Kihyun promptly sealed his lips and looked at the ground. Talking back was a specialty of his, but he had no desire to tempt fate when he was clearly at a disadvantage.


	4. Jefferson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****Trigger Warning-this chapter has sexual assualt.*****

Kihyun’s confidence in rescue wilted along the way. They could be going literally anywhere. He could see from the pilot’s screen that they were in warp 8. That was very concerning. He was freezing and the stress of this bullshit situation brought on a pounding headache. The wetness on his crotch was cold and gross. That one jerk-off in the corner wouldn’t stop looking at him. It was unnerving.

“What are you looking at? Don’t you have a job to do?” he snapped.

The man grinned. “Technically, you are the job.”

Kihyun turned his back to him but was certain his eyes stayed on him.

He didn’t have an understanding of time, only that it felt too long before the ship finally landed. His heart sped as adrenaline flooded his system. Flynn held Kihyun’s arm and led him down the hangar ramp, handing him off to the corner creeper. ‘Perfect,’ he thought.

It was hot outside and the sunshine warmed him considerably. He didn’t realize how tense he’d been now that he wasn’t shivering.

Flynn lit a cigarette and took a drag, shoulders sagging in relief. He handed the man the key to the cuffs, who then pocketed them. “See you on the flip side, sweetheart,” he said, then looked to the man holding Kihyun, “And Jefferson? Mind your manners. Precious cargo and all that.”

The man, Jefferson, leered down at Kihyun. He smelled sour, like he hadn’t bothered to wash off the previous night’s binge. He wore a brown tank that showcased his obvious strength, khaki cargos, and worn combat boots. Kihyun looked down at his own bare feet, uncomfortable under his attention. Jefferson began pulling him down the dirt road in a bruising grip.

He attempted to wiggle his arm out of the hold but received an even tighter grip and a jarring yank in response. It’s not like he was going to run. He had no clue where he was and the fastest way home seemed to be treating this patient.

“You don’t have to hold me so hard. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Shut up.” He yanked Kihyun again.

The dirt road was slightly damp, like it had rained the previous day. It led up to a large Colonial house with a wrap-around porch a half mile from where they were. Under different circumstances, it would look inviting.

There were several smaller houses in the vicinity. The placing was bizarre and random, not like a neighborhood. The vegetation was lush and green. The woods on either side were densely populated with trees he was familiar with, but this definitely wasn’t Earth. There were three pink-tinged moons in the distance. His feet slowed, trying to catalog as much of the surroundings as possible. Jefferson switched his punishing grip to the back of his neck, forcing his head and feet forward.

“What is this place?” Kihyun asked.

“None of your business.”

“Do you know the patient?” He continued.

Instead of answering, he submitted Kihyun to another lingering perusal. He asked a question of his own. “Are you Bemonian?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened in surprise. He was probably the first person he came across that could identify his genealogy so easily. “Part.”

He smiled smugly. “I knew it. I’ve never seen skin so beautiful. So, is the rest of you completely hairless? I heard you guys get so horny you drip all over the place like a leaky faucet and it tastes like sugar. Is that true? That your holes get so hot and your eyes go blue with lust. The whole lot of you sluts for a dick, you lose your damn minds.”

Anger coiled inside Kihyun and he glared at Jefferson. “Fuck off.”

Jefferson laughed. “Look at you getting all red. Turned on already? Knew you were a slut at first glance too. Come on, flash those pretty blues for me.” Jefferson stopped and held the chain connecting his wrists. He squatted down in front to take a look at his crotch up close. “Are you getting all wet for me in there? Pretty little dick sopping in juices?” He pressed his nose against him roughly, inhaling deeply.

Kihyun used all his strength to kick out at his shoulder. Jefferson fell on his ass but pulled Kihyun down with him. This time he grabbed Kihyun by the front of his neck and stood up. Kihyun’s toes just barely touched the ground. His face went red and his hands flew his to neck pulling at the unyielding grip.

Jefferson was furious, squeezing hard, but collected himself after a moment. He dropped Kihyun and returned his grip to the back of his neck, forcing them towards the house again.

“Watch yourself Bemonian. There’s nothing I love more than reminding a whore exactly where their place is.”

“I’m not a whore,” Kihyun replied hoarsely.

He smiled cruelly. “Oh, yes, you are. Those stained lips, ‘fuck-me’ lined eyes. Only a bitch in heat begging to get reamed wears pants like those. And, you’re wet.”

“It wasn’t for the likes of you, I can assure you.”

Jefferson slapped his mouth. It shocked him more than it hurt.

Kihyun glared at him, smirking. “You seem well acquainted with whores. Must be the only source willing lower themselves for you.”

Jefferson squeezed his neck harder. Kihyun flinched. “Be careful, doctor.”

They reached the top of the steps to the porch. Jefferson hesitated and looked around anxiously. “Let’s make sure you don’t have anything dangerous on you.”

Kihyun rolled his eyes. As if he could hide anything in his minimal clothing. “Look Rambo, I’m pretty sure they took care of that back on Thalos IV. Are you blind or just an idiot? Look at me. Where would I put anything? Keep your dirty hands to yourself.”

Jefferson took his chin in his other hand and craned Kihyun’s head all the way back. “I’m sure I can think of a couple places they haven’t looked. I bet a slut like you could fit a lot up there. Shall we take a look?” He let go of his chin and spit on his face, rubbed his palm back and forth, smearing it over him. When he took his hand away, Kihyun was shaking, stunned.

Jefferson looked down at him with anger and lust. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He started to drag him around the house to the back.

Kihyun’s heart flooded with terror, all too aware of exactly what would happen back there. He frantically pulled down and cemented his bare feet into the porch. It was useless. Splinters from the worn wooden panels embedded into his feet and he dropped to his knees as Jefferson continued to pull him, undeterred. Jefferson hauled him up and slammed his front against the wall by the backdoor, pinned his wrists up against the paneling, and wedged his knee up high between his legs. Kihyun’s heart sped so fast, he was dizzy from it.

Jefferson hovered over him for a moment, mouth resting against the crown of his head and breathing in. He ran one hand down his bare chest and front, definitely not checking for weapons. “So fucking smooth,” he said against his hair. He squeezed and rubbed Kihyun’s crotch through the jeans. “You think you’re too good for me, don’t you?”

He was shaking. “Please stop. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Just stop.” Kihyun pleaded. He moved away from the hand, but it made his ass slide further up Jefferson’s thigh and Jefferson’s hand followed him anyway, continuing.

“You whores are always sorry. People let you get away with it too, but that’s not how you learn.” His hand drifted back up and then smoothed up Kihyun’s shoulder and arm. When Jefferson reached the bandage on his forearm, he squeezed brutally. Kihyun gasped in pain, eyes watering. “If others had taken the time to teach you how to behave, you wouldn’t be in this position right now. Isn’t that right?”

Kihyun didn’t reply.

“I said, isn’t that right?” He squeezed the wound again and blood blossomed on the white wrapping.

“Yes,” Kihyun choked out.

“Good,” he murmured. He ran thick fingers through his hair almost tenderly before he gripped the strands in a fist and yanked his head back towards him. Kihyun whimpered but pulled against the tight grip to turn his head and bite down on his jaw.

Jefferson swore and threw him to the ground, swiftly moving on top of him. A few drops of blood dripped onto his chest. “You little brat,” he muttered and backhanded his left cheek. Taking Kihyun’s head into both hands, he slammed it into the ground.

“Ahh-!” His vision blurred and the world tilted. The nausea almost pulled him under. He moaned, disoriented.

“Pretty. Let’s see what other sounds you can make,” Jefferson whispered into his ear. He kneeled on-top of him, placing one knee and leg on Kihyun’s chest and stomach, full weight behind it. Jefferson unzipped himself and pulled out his cock. He dug his knee and leg more forcefully onto him. He lewdly stroked his cock to hardness, looking straight into Kihyun’s eyes.

Kihyun’s head was still spinning and couldn’t take full breaths. His cuffs were trapped under Jefferson’s leg. The man was too heavy, too strong. His arms wouldn’t work the way he wanted them to. Panic was shutting his brain down. His eyes went blue in fear. Jefferson laughed at him. “You like this?”

Jefferson stopped stroking and leaned forward to rub his smeared hand over Kihyun’s face again. “How do you like my dirty hands now?” He maneuvered himself down Kihyun and gripped his wrists at his belly. Jefferson easily pulled Kihyun’s pants down to his knees with one hand. “Like a newborn babe.”

Jefferson’s arm and upper body pinned his legs apart and down. Kihyun twisted ineffectually. Jefferson ducked his head and licked a stripe up his scrotum. “Christ. I could make a fortune off you.” He licked and sucked it all off him, taking his balls into his mouth and sucking, licking the crevices of his thighs, his shaft, his perineum. Hot tears escaped Kihyun’s eyes and dread pooled in his stomach. His throat closed up, unable to cry out. 

Jefferson dug his tongue into his slit and pulled away. “Not going to make me anymore? Still think you’re too good for me?” Jefferson swiftly flipped him over. Kihyun went rigid and his body locked up. The rough wood from the porch scraped against him. This wasn’t real, he thought. There was no way this actually happening.

Jefferson’s hands spread his clenched ass cheeks and touched his hole. “Such a pretty little hole. Squeezing so tightly.” He pushed a finger in and groaned. “Fuck, you’re hot. You’re going to feel so unbelievably good. Are you ready?”

He wiggled his finger. “No? That’s okay, whore. I don’t really care if you’re ready.” He pulled his finger out.

Kihyun’s body was stiff as a board, completely frozen. Jefferson lost patience trying to maneuver him into a better position. His hands and fingers painfully bit into his sides, back and thighs, trying to get him onto his knees, ass up. Jefferson took him by the hips and shook him, trying to get him to move or bend in some way. He punched the back of his thigh twice before he hovered over him and whispered to his ear. “Fight me any more whore and I’ll fuck your corpse instead.”

Kihyun moaned in despair. His fingers tingled. His ears buzzed. He went limp for him, utterly malleable in Jefferson’s hands. Kihyun drifted in that moment, his presence becoming increasingly smaller. Jefferson kneed his legs apart, pulled his ass up, pushed down on his back. Kihyun’s shoulders and cheek dug into the wood.

“There you go, learning already,” he soothed and petted his lower back. He stroked his cock against his hole, preparing to push in.

A small part of his mind vaguely registered noises inside, a screechy hinge, the back door opening through a gray haze, legs and boots, a gun, voices, an argument maybe. He didn’t like it. The raised voices hurt his ears and started to pull him back to the present. The shot hurt his ears even more and warm wetness splattered onto his back. Jefferson’s weight slumped over him, pinning him flat against the ground.

The man with the gun kicked Jefferson’s body off him. The other knelt down and pulled his jeans back up. “Dr. Yoo? Let’s get you inside.” Kihyun was too out of it to do anything other than comply. He saw the pool of blood growing underneath Jefferson’s head, but it somehow didn’t compute. His legs weren’t moving right, and the man had to put his arm around him and take most of his weight as he led them into the house. Kihyun looked at his lifeless eyes until they passed the threshold.

The brunet set him down at a chair at a round oak table. He put a glass of ice water in front of him. The taller man entered a moment later with a blanket and set it by the water before unlocking the cuffs. He sat down next to his partner. Kihyun clumsily pulled the blanket over his shoulders. He didn’t feel attached to his body.

They gave him time to assimilate while they seemed to be having a wordless conversation with each other. Moments passed, the buzzing tapered off and his fingers stopped tingling. He grasped the glass of water and took a sip before it slid from his fingers it clattered to the floor. He turned in his chair away from the table, heaving. He swore he could taste Jefferson on his lips. He began trembling.

The brunet got out of his seat. “Okay. Okay. Shit. What do you need?” He looked back at the other. “What do we do?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know? He’s the doctor,” the blond said, standing at his seat.

Kihyun purposefully dropped from the chair to the floor. He grabbed some of the ice cubes scattered on the floor and clenched them in his hands. It helped considerably and Kihyun’s mind sharpened.

The two men were crouched on the ground in front of him. He may have just been saved by them, but he was still in danger. This was a strange place and they were criminals who were involved in this.

He berated himself. He shouldn’t have shown any weakness in front of them. He forced himself to compartmentalize and steeled himself for whatever came next. It was surprisingly easy to do now that he wasn’t being physically threatened by a man twice his size.

They were young men, possibly the same age as Kihyun. The brunet that guided him inside was looking at him in concern. The taller blond stared at him warily.

“We’re really sorry. We didn’t bring you here to treat you like that,” the brunet said. “Unfortunately, we had to outsource this…uh.”

“Kidnapping,” Kihyun supplied.

The brunet nodded reluctantly. “There were extenuating circumstances or we would have brought you ourselves. It would have been a less-traumatic process.”

“You’re an idiot,” the blond said, then turned to Kihyun. “I am sorry for what happened. Truly. This was supposed to be simple, easy. I understand sorry doesn’t cut it but our brother is sick. We brought you here to help him.”

“Why? Aren’t there any doctors on this planet?”

“No, actually,” the blond said. The brunet elbowed him.

Interesting. Kihyun let the remains of the ice cubes fall to the floor and readjusted the afghan over his shoulders, drying his palms on the rough fabric. “And what? I couldn’t have been the closest doctor. I was on that ship for a long time.”

They looked uncomfortable. They were stalling. “You’re the best, according to...everyone,” the brunet said.

That was crap. Kihyun wondered at the purpose for his abduction as he shivered on Flynn’s ship. Out of all the doctors in the galaxies, why him? There was no shortage of brilliant doctors strewn all across the universe. A few awards didn’t make him the best. It only made him popular.

“And you just happened to know where I was?” No response from the wonder twins.

“Well, who are you?” Nothing.

Kihyun sighed. “According to Flynn, if I treat your brother, you’ll return me. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Of course,” said the brunet. He had the gall to look offended at the accusation.

“Oh? Just checking because after the kidnapping, the drugging and the brutality out there, I didn’t know where you guys drew the line.” They didn’t meet his eyes. Good.

He drew the blanket tighter around himself and stood up. “So, where is this patient? I want to go home.”

The bedroom at the top of the stairs was sparsely decorated with simple white curtains, a dark wooden dresser and bedside table, a pale blue upholstered chair in the corner and a full-sized bed. The patient slept under white sheets.

“We don’t have a ton of medical supplies. We gathered everything we could on that cart. You can wash up in there.” The brunet said, pointing to the adjoining bathroom.

Kihyun went to the sink and grabbed the bar of soap, scrubbing his hands and wrists under scalding water. Then he assaulted his face, neck and chest with the soap, rinsed, then did it again. He did not once look up at the mirror. He couldn’t handle looking at himself right now. This whole clusterfuck would become too real. It was easier to pretend this was a nightmare. Besides, he wanted to go home. This wasn’t the time to freak out. It was time to focus. He took a deep breath and toweled off.

Returning to the bedroom, he went to the patient and surveyed the items laid out on the cart. Definitely not up to Starfleet standard. The instruments were outdated, but he was comfortable enough with them. Many places the Newton provided aide for stuck to medical practices that were ‘behind the times’ and shunned modern medicine and technology. Any doctor worth his or her or its salt knew how to handle an eclectic range of medical instruments. Whether this was enough depended on what the patient needed.

Grabbing the pen light, he approached the patient, pulling eyelids back and checking pupils. “Can you fill me in? How long has he been like this?”

“About four days.” The blond answered. They hovered and observed him carefully. Kihyun took his pulse. He adjusted the stethoscope in his ears and pulled the patient’s shirt up, focusing on his heart, then his lungs, then his intestines. Removing the stethoscope, Kihyun stopped and looked up at them, waiting.

“We don’t know what happened. We were at a bar. He was causing trouble, totally wasted. We took him home and put him to bed. It’s a common occurrence, but this time he just didn’t wake up. We tried everything,” the blond said.

Kihyun inspected the bruise on his left cheek and wondered if that was from the bar or them trying to wake him up. “How much did he have to drink?”

“Can’t say. A lot, but he can handle it.”

“Had he eaten anything strange? Did he complain about anything?”

“No, he was fine,” said the brunet.

“Do I get to know his name at least?”

“No. You can call him Sharp if it makes you feel better,” the blond said. The brunet glared at him and the taller man shrugged.

“How old? Any medical history or allergies?” Kihyun stood over Sharp, feeling around his glands. He moved his hands down to check for any distension. He pinched the skin on the back of his hand and abdomen. Definitely dehydrated.

“Twenty-four. Not sure about the rest,” the brunet answered.

“Aren’t you brothers?” Kihyun questioned.

“In all the ways that count,” the blond defended. Kihyun understood. Families were what you made them.

Kihyun pursed his lips. “I don’t know what you want me to do here. There’s no equipment, I can’t run the tests I would like to. If you were going to kidnap a doctor, you should have taken one that had their equipment on them. There are hundreds of reasons why he could be unconscious. If he’s important to you, you’d let me take him back with me for proper analysis and care.”

The brunet shook his head. “No. That’s not possible.”

Kihyun figured as much. He gently cradled Sharp’s head in his hands, feeling for any bumps or irregularities. Nothing. He turned away from Sharp and sat on the edge of the bed, trying not to panic. He closed his eyes, thinking. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t do bloodwork or scans. If he couldn’t help this Sharp, what would they do to him? He wondered how much time passed since he was taken. He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious and he had drifted off a couple times on the ship. His disappearance would have been acknowledged by now. Of that he was certain. He looked at his forearm. They wouldn’t be able to track him though.

He exhaled, bracing himself. The only thing he could do in this moment was give Sharp his attention and at least look like he was trying. Unfortunately, the only viable option at this point was a full body physical examination, not that it would likely lead to anything. He took scissors from the cart and cut his shirt open. He checked every square inch from his mouth, ears, neck, shoulders, arms, underarms, chest, stomach, and sides. Then he pulled the sheet down and removed Sharp’s pants and underwear, continuing. Nothing. He carefully moved him onto his stomach with the blond’s help. He felt his fingers down his spine then stopped and did it again. His brow furrowed. ‘There.’ An extra, softer vertebrae. It blended almost seamlessly into the vertebrae of his spine. He pressed it lightly and he felt rather than saw it twitch. A fucking miracle.

He looked at the men curiously. “Does he swim or bathe outside somewhere?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of lakes around here. We all do,” said the blond. The brunet pinched him viciously.

“I not certain, but if I had to make a guess, there’s a parasite right here. I’ve seen some cases like this before. Children go swimming in natural bodies of water, go home, become sick. I’ve never seen one on a spine before though. They generally stick to fleshier areas. There’s more to eat.”

The blond looked a bit green.

Kihyun bit his lip. “Furthermore, what kind of parasite, I have no idea. Even if I cut him open to look, I can’t guarantee it’s one I would know. It probably won’t be, in all honesty. How is it going to react? Removing it could prove fatal. I would be going in completely blind. That nodule might look small from out here, but it could be much larger. There could be more than one. It makes extracting it a very real risk to his life. Not to mention, this is his spine. So many things could go wrong. I would be remiss if I didn’t strongly recommend taking him to a facility properly outfitted for this. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m your prisoner, I would demand it.”

They looked rightfully worried but determined. The brunet shook his head. “Do it. You won’t be punished if you can’t save him. You have my word.”

That wasn’t the point, Kihyun thought, but began prepping for the procedure all the same. This was foolishly risky. He sent them away for more supplies: a container, extra towels, extra lighting, acetone, vinegar, a lighter, salt, anything that might stun or repel the parasite. By the time he finished disinfecting the instruments and swabbing Sharp’s back with iodine, they returned. Kihyun placed everything exactly so on the cart and pulled on gloves.

Here goes nothing. The blond held a shadeless lamp up high for him. He made a shallow incision over the nodule and repeated the cut several times, each time slightly deeper. He didn’t want to accidentally nick the organism. It may move or its body may release something toxic into Sharp. After each pass of the scalpel, he dabbed away the blood with gauze. Eventually, the skin opened around it. He was careful not to touch it before he could examine it. It appeared to be small, about two centimeters, and it wasn’t moving or reacting to the air. He took tweezers and gently clamped the organism. Dozens of long cilia emerged from the tiny body. Sharp’s body convulsed and then grew tight like a strung bow.

It must be wrapping around Sharp’s spine. Kihyun grabbed the lighter in his other hand and brought the flame close. Its feelers spasmed and retracted back inside. Tweezers still secured around its body, he pulled it off, deposited it in the container and closed the lid. After checking Sharp’s vitals again, he meticulously stitched him up and secured a bandage to his back. He peeled off the gloves and took a shaky breath. Now that it was over, the composure he kept during the procedure wore off and his heart sped up. That could have been so much worse.

Sharp wasn’t out of the woods yet. Vitals were fine, but that parasite made its home on his spine. Had it been eating off of his spinal cord? There’s no telling what kind of damage it could have inflicted. With no scanning equipment, he’d just have to wait until he woke up. If he woke up.

“I’ll stay with him until he comes to. Then you’ll take me back.” He set about making Sharp comfortable: wiping him down with clean washcloths, remaking the bed with fresh sheets, starting an IV drip he hung up on a hanger. The young men stuck around and helped for a while. Maybe they were expecting an immediate recovery or maybe they didn’t trust him alone with Sharp.

Eventually, the brunet brought Kihyun a pillow and a downy comforter. “It can get cold at night.”

The blond brought a travel kit and towel. He rummaged through the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a large sleeveless tee-shirt. “They’re probably too big, but it will be more comfortable. The shower’s got everything and there are more clean washcloths under the sink.” He handed him the travel kit with a foldable toothbrush and toothpaste. “Are you hungry?”

Kihyun didn’t want to accept shit from these people, but nothing sounded better than a hot shower and some clean clothes. And food. He nodded. “Do you have some aspirin?”

The brunet inclined his head. “Yes. You go ahead and clean up. We’ll leave you something on the dresser in a few minutes. Um…you can’t leave this room. That is, we can’t let you wander around the house. That’s for all our sakes. We’ll need to lock you in here for the night. If something’s wrong, just bang on the door. We’re right down the hall.”

“Are you serious?” Kihyun asked.

“Sorry. We need to protect our anonymity. It’s better for you that way too.”

“Meaning what, you’d kill me?” he asked in disbelief.

“What? No, but it could mean staying here.”

He grabbed the towel from Tweedle Dipshit, shouldered past Tweedle Fuckwad and slammed the bathroom door. As he undressed, he heard the sound of a lock outside and what sounded like a chair being dragged in front. Just great. He threw his jeans in the trash.

Steam permeated the bathroom. He stayed under the hot spray until it made him lightheaded, then cooled the temperature to wash up. He winced as he shampooed, the bump on his head flaring to life. He sloughed away at his skin with the washcloth. It felt good to be clean again. The clothes were definitely too big, but the sweatpants at least had a drawstring on the inside he could tighten. This time he did look in the mirror. The only evidence that this wasn’t just like every other day were some bruises at his wrists and neck, the cut on his arm and sweatpants he wouldn’t be caught dead in. Under the overhead lighting, he pulled one foot on top of the counter, removed the splinters with some items from the cart, then switched.

They left a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an orange. Two bottles of water and aspirin were placed next to it, along with a chocolate bar. Cadbury, his favorite. He pulled the upholstered chair from the corner up to the bed and ate while contemplating the man before him.

Objectively, he was good-looking and cared for his body. They were the same age. Both 24, except one was a doctor and the other a criminal, most likely. Kihyun wondered what happened to these boys that they ended up like this. Life was strange. It led people down all kinds of paths. Had his parents lived, Kihyun would be working aside them cultivating crops in greenhouses, not saving lives and publishing research in space.

Kihyun leaned forward and tapped his fingers against Sharp’s hand. He was hoping he would wake up soon. He didn’t want to spend the night here. The longer Sharp remained unconscious, the more worried he became. What would happen if he didn’t wake up?

He didn’t trust any of them. He longed for his quarters. He wanted to curl up with Minhyuk and Jooheon and watch a show. He wanted to slip into his tub with Epsom salt and soothe his aching body. He wanted to go home. Hours ticked by. When his eyelids became too heavy, he flipped the lights and curled up onto the chair with the pillow and blanket. The clock on the nightstand read 1:42 a.m.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize to fictional Kihyun and to anyone reading this chapter. Kihyun really goes through it on this solo adventure of his.


	5. The Patient

“Hey, who are you?” It was a whisper. It felt like somebody was twirling his hair.

Kihyun lifted his head from his folded arms on the bed, blinking awake. 5:04 a.m. Finally. He mentally slapped himself to alertness and moved to perch on the side of the bed.

Kihyun smiled warmly at him. “I’m Dr. Yoo. How do you feel?”

Sharp had pretty eyes. It also appeared that he may have been awake for a while. “Any tingling or numbness?” He took his pulse and then stretched across Sharp’s body to grab the stethoscope and penlight from the cart on the opposite side.

“Uh, no.” Sharp said oddly. Kihyun peered closely at him. It was still pretty dark this early in the morning, the sky only a shade lighter than black, but Sharp looked feverish. He went to the wall and flipped the lights on. Feverish and confused.

He placed a hand on Sharp’s shoulder and waist. “Sit up for me if you can. Careful. Look at me.” Kihyun sat back on the bed and flashed the light in his eyes. Normal dilation.

“Okay, good. Now, follow the light.”

Kihyun frowned. Sharp’s eyes stayed on him. “Do your eyes hurt? Too bright?” Kihyun clicked the light off. “Try following my finger instead.” He moved his finger to the left, the right, diagonally. Sharp didn’t respond, his eyes were glued to his face. He put on the stethoscope and listened. His brow furrowed at the speed and he touched his hand to his forehead. A bit hot, but not fever hot. “Are you lightheaded? Any chest pain?”

He cupped his cheek. “Can you understand me?”

“Did we sleep together?” Sharp asked, eyes finally moving to run up and down Kihyun.

Oh. Kihyun seriously regretted all of his life choices. “No,” he deadpanned, annoyed.

However, considering whose clothes he was wearing, he supposed a mistake could be made. The last time Sharp was conscious, he was drunk, returning from a bar. His memory was probably pretty fuzzy. Kihyun decided to be magnanimous.

Sharp frowned. “Oh. That’s too bad,” he said, fixated on his body.

Kihyun prayed for patience. The shirt definitely wasn’t his size. It was meant for someone like Hoseok, or the Captain, or Sharp, obviously. Someone with muscles or breadth to show off. The collar sat too low on his chest and the straps had a habit of sliding off if it wasn’t perfectly centered. The arm holes were intentionally big, and most of his sides were exposed.

“What happened to me?” Sharp asked.

That’s better. “I excised a parasite from your spine, along the thoracic region, T-9 to T-10. You’ll need to be careful for a while. Unfortunately, I don’t know what species it was. There could be some unknown complications. Does the incision site hurt?”

He arched and twisted his back a little. “Not bad.” Sharp lifted his eyes to Kihyun’s and a grin stretched across his face. “You know doc, this is already like my biggest fantasy come to life, with the fever-checking and the stetho-thingy. You’re cute. How about it?”

Kihyun stood from the bed, flabbergasted that his patient was able to bounce back so fast. The man ought to be weak and shaky right now. He hated the way his cheeks heated at being called cute. It’s not that he liked it, he was just caught off-guard. “No, you idiot. I don’t want to sleep with you. You’ve been unconscious for nearly five days. I was literally kidnapped to come and help you. Kidnapped!”

Sharp looked up, eyes theatrically wide. “No,” he said in mock horror. “What kind of monster would do that?”

This bastard really knew how to lay it on thick. A house of criminals, he should have known better. Kihyun officially hated this place, these people. He made himself rise above it. He was a professional and there was still a job to finish. “Here. Come sit on the edge of the bed. Swing your legs down. I need to check your body.”

“So, we are playing?” Sharp sounded way too excited for a man that just woke up after five days.

“No, you imbecile. We need to make sure everything’s working and feeling right.”

Sharp was naked, the sheet covered his groin, but nothing else.

Kihyun started towards the dresser. “Why don’t I pick out some clothes for you? Which drawer?”

Sharp widened his legs on the mattress, relaxing. “Nah. I never wear clothes in bed. Too constricting.”

“…Right. Okay, then. I’m going to first touch along your limbs with both my hands and the point of this pen. If there is a lack of sensation or if something doesn’t feel as it normally does, tell me. I’ll also ask you to move in various ways like wiggle your toes. Okay?”

Sharp’s smile grew impossibly wide, as if it was Christmas morning. “Absolutely, Doctor.”

Kihyun pushed the chair away and sat down crisscross on the floor before Sharp. He took his right foot in hand, pressing along the top and bottom, pinching the toes. He pricked the pen point along his foot. He repeated it on the left foot. “It feels fine? Wiggle your toes then roll your feet clockwise then counterclockwise.”

Sharp acquiesced.

“Good.” He met Sharp’s eyes from the ground. “If your feet are fine then chances are the rest of you will be too.”

“You mean I’m going to walk again, doctor?” Sharp joked.

“Don’t kid. You should consider yourself lucky. This procedure should have been done in a hospital with screens to see whatever it was I was actually doing, not blindly poking around your spine with a pair of tweezers and a lighter. Your brothers gambled with your life. Do you realize that?”

The raven-haired man smiled. “You’re sweet, doc. Don’t judge them too harshly. We always put what’s best for the whole first. Myself included.”

“Let’s try standing up.”

Sharp definitely had no problem standing or dropping the sheet for that matter. Kihyun was nearly hit in the face. The man was obviously trying to bait him, a teasing glint in his eyes. Kihyun, on the other hand, was not playing. He scooted back a safe distance and clinically touched up each leg, prodding with his fingers and pen-point. “Normal? Walk.”

He repeated process on each of his hands, arms, shoulders, neck and back. Kihyun was pleased. Even though it wouldn’t have been his fault if something had happened to Sharp, it would have haunted him.

The man had chubbed-up a bit during his assessment. Kihyun refused to acknowledge or comment on it that way Sharp seemed to want him to. Truthfully, it wasn’t abnormal for a patient to respond in such ways from having their bodies touched or just having another person close to them. It was a natural, faultless reaction. He was used to it.

“Alright. Let’s get you back in bed. Even though you’re walking fine, I’d like you to take it easy for a few days, okay? Don’t make sudden or awkward movements. Don’t bend over. Don’t be a hero, get someone to help you if you need assistance.”

Sharp sat back down on the bed and Kihyun rearranged the sheet over him.

“You got it, Doc. I never bend over anyhow.”

“Charming,” Kihyun said sarcastically.

Pleased with himself, Sharp put his hands behind his head and went to lean back into the pillows. He suddenly grimaced and sat up again. “Hnng. It hurts.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened in concern and his hands hovered over him. “I told you to be careful. Where?” Kihyun went around Sharp, lightly skimming his fingers down his neck and back. “Is it the incision? Somewhere else?”

Still grimacing and eyes squeezed closed, Sharp slid his hand down and cupped his crotch through the sheet. “H-here.” He opened one eye, looked beseechingly up at Kihyun, and smiled broadly.

Kihyun dropped his hands. Fucker thought he was real funny, huh? He closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten and then again in Klingon. He reminded himself that even if this jerk was the reason for the shittiest leave of all time, he wasn’t the one that actually kidnapped him. Nevertheless, he was most definitely not in the mood to fucking joke.

It wouldn’t do to smack his own patient, so he just went to the door instead, so beyond ready to go home. The handle wouldn’t move. Shit. He knocked loudly and waited, refused to turn around. As the seconds ticked by waiting for someone to come, he cringed. He couldn’t leave like this. He was still a doctor, dammit.

He banged his forehead against the door in frustration. He grabbed the extra bottle of water from the dresser and placed it on the nightstand by Sharp. He went about setting up a new IV drip. “Listen up. You’re severely dehydrated. You need to drink lots of fluids. That doesn’t include boos. Have someone apply this ointment to your back twice a day. Put a clean bandage on each day. Try to keep yourself and your surroundings clean. This wasn’t an ideal environment for a procedure and you’re weakened right now. If you’re in pain take one of those red pills on the cart, but absolutely no more than three in a day. Take them with meals. No strenuous work for the next week. Use your limited judgement after that. In twelve days, you can cut the stitches. Don’t you dare scratch them. Got it? Have a nice life.” Sharp smiled at him the whole way through, amused.

He went to the door again and banged his fist against it. Remembering the parasite, he nearly stomped his foot in a fit. He walked back to the bed once again to retrieve the container. He pointed at Sharp. “And if I were you, I wouldn’t go swimming in those lakes anymore.”

“You know, if you want to stay. Just stay,” he drawled, lifting the sheet and patting the bed.

This fucker. Kihyun snapped, cheeks going red in anger. “Would you just stop! It’s not cute or funny!”

He needed to get out of here. Where were those idiots? ‘Right down the hall, my ass,’ he thought.

He tried to calm down, but he really just wanted to hit something. Everything was catching up to him: the hotel room, the ship, Jefferson, the fear, the unknown, being completely on his own, Sharp’s flippant attitude when he was literally going through the scariest event of his life. Kihyun surveyed Sharp, weighing the pros and cons of punching his stupid back. It would feel so very satisfying, but he might not leave this place intact.

He considered what Hoseok, or Hyungwon, Changkyun or the Captain would do in his situation. Kihyun immediately discarded the thought, angry. For starters, they wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped in the first place. They were pros when it came to fighting, pros when it came to thinking on their feet, pros when it came to…manipulation…

Maybe he was just too dumb from exhaustion because a really stupid idea took form. Hoseok once confessed to him that he used to use sex to ply information from targets in his former life. He certainly wasn’t going to have sex with the man, but perhaps he could leave this godforsaken planet with some kind of intel. Sharp’s been unconscious this whole time. Maybe Kihyun can get him to slip up. Maybe he’s not even aware of Kihyun’s forced unawareness. He could get their names or the name of this place. The man was clearly attracted to him.

He let the stress melt off him, relaxing his face and body. A part of him balked at the idea of seducing a stranger. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he was capable, it just wasn’t his style. Generally, Kihyun was the prey, not the predator. He liked it that way, and he enjoyed being seduced by men like Dongwook. But, he thought of the men at the restaurant, how they were affected by Kihyun. He hadn’t even touched any of them. It was a heady experience. He could do this. How would Minhyuk go about turning Sharp into goo?

Kihyun set the container back on the cart and crawled up onto the bed close to Sharp. He settled exactly where Sharp patted a moment ago, facing his galling patient. Kihyun’s hip and thigh pressed against Sharp’s thigh through the sheet.

He placed his hand high on Sharp’s left thigh, next to his groin. He softened his voice. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He carelessly shrugged his shoulder. “I think I’m just overly sensitive right now, like the smallest word or touch could set me off. Do you ever feel so completely on edge like that?” He brought the back of his other hand up to his forehead again, checking for a nonexistent fever. He carded his fingers through Sharp’s hair, smoothing the strands away from his face.

Sharp nodded, his thigh tensing. “Yes.”

Kihyun squeezed his thigh in acknowledgement.

Kihyun’s close proximity and attention had Sharp’s breathing accelerating. He made sure to match his own breathing to the rise and fall of Sharp’s chest. He purposefully breathed through his mouth and the breathy inhales and exhales filled the space between them.

“You know, you were really in quite a bit of danger earlier. Everyone was so worried.” Kihyun scooted even closer to Sharp’s front, squeezing his thigh again to do so.

The shirt slipped off his shoulder and dropped below his nipple. He clumsily pulled it up so that it would fall right down again. It did. Sharp stared, licked his lips. He didn’t bother fixing it again. “I guess you’re just too big for me. It doesn’t fit,” Kihyun said, inwardly cringing.

Sharp coughed out an aborted laugh and bit his lip, looking away.

‘Shit, that was so lame,’ Kihyun thought, embarrassed. Maybe there was a reason he didn’t play the role of the predator. He needed to tone it down, talk less.

Kihyun awkwardly cleared his throat. “I’ll check your back once more and help you relax.”

Instead of moving behind Sharp, he brought his upper body close to his and let his hands stretch under the patient’s arms and around to his back. Kihyun looked at up at Sharp again, their mouths inches apart. “Tell me if you feel anything,” he said.

He started at his shoulders, practically hugging Sharp to him, and kneaded. His breath ghosted against the top of Sharp’s sternum. Lowering his hands inch by inch, he massaged the back of his neck, shoulder blades, trapezoids, lats, taking his time in each area. 

Occasionally, Sharp would jerk or let out a shuddery exhale. His ear being so close to the man’s throat, he could hear every time Sharp swallowed. Kihyun intentionally kept bumping and rubbing his chest against the other’s as he worked. His fingers stayed far enough away from the incision, no desire to hurt him or break the mood. The sheet covering his cock was partially raised and Kihyun’s stomach would bump against it as he worked.

By the time he reached his buttocks, Kihyun’s chest was flush against Sharp’s. His erection was pressed between their stomachs. It was a workout to keep his torso tilted at just the right angle this whole time and to keep his body pressed firmly against him. His left oblique was screaming. Between the heat coming off Sharp and the exertion of his movements, Kihyun’s face and neck reddened. His body grew sticky, on the verge of sweating. He rubbed the side of his stomach harder against Sharp’s cock under the guise of working his hands and fingers even deeper into his back. His lips brushed and swiped against the side of his neck and collarbone as he massaged him. When Kihyun looked up, Sharp’s eyes were closed, bottom lip trapped in his teeth.

“Does it all feel okay? It doesn’t hurt?” Kihyun whispered against his neck, digging his thumbs into the tops of his buttocks.

“Yes,” he groaned against Kihyun’s forehead. “Feels good.”

Sharp was getting tenser by the moment. The hand he could see was fisting the sheet and he reflexively bucked against Kihyun’s stomach. Kihyun wondered if Sharp was aware he was doing it or just didn’t care. He wasn’t getting close, was he? He didn’t want that.

He slowly pulled back, his forearms sliding against Sharp’s sides. He pulled his arms and hands back to his own lap and his palm accidentally brushed the tip of the tented sheet. Sharp hissed. Kihyun feigned ignorance.

“It’s a relief to me that you’re not in pain. I wouldn’t want to leave you in any kind of discomfort.” He brought his fingers up to the pulse point on his neck, not bothering to count.

Their eyes connected and it brought him short for a second. The way Sharp was looking at him made his stomach clench in something other than exertion. He swallowed and blinked his thoughts away.

He brought his other hand up to the cradle back of the patient’s neck. A bead of sweat rolled down Sharp’s temple. “What’s your name by the way? In all the confusion yesterday…”

Sharp shuddered out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He opened his mouth as if to reply but at the last second something shifted. Sharp squinted his eyes knowingly and grinned at Kihyun with something akin to...respect?

“Doctor, you wouldn’t be taking advantage of a patient in a delicate condition, would you?” he teased, before cradling Kihyun’s own head back to him.

He brushed his lips against Kihyun’s ear. “Because, I concur.” Sharp whipped the sheet off his body, unashamed, and leaned back on his elbow. He watched Kihyun expectantly, eyes gleaming with mischief.

A sinking feeling pooled in his gut. What just happened? Kihyun was dumbfounded. It must have shown on his face.

“You going to help me out, doctor? You told me to take it easy and I’m afraid I might tweak my back if I try to handle this soldier myself.” He shrugged a shoulder. “‘Don’t be a hero,’ you said. ‘Ask for assistance.’”

Kihyun bolted up from the bed, trying not to look at the impressive boner saluting him.

Sharp cracked up, delighted. “It was a nice try, doc, but I invented that game. You can’t out-raven an actual raven, no matter how cute you are. Thanks for the free rub down though. I’ll be withdrawing that from the spank bank for years to come.” He chuckled at the double entendre.

He’d been played trying to play him. He couldn’t believe he’d been that obtuse. It felt like a bucket of ice water had come down on him, despite the fact that the man on the bed was the one in need of a cold shower.

Kihyun snatched the container from the cart. If he was a lesser man, he’d shove the parasite right back down his damn throat. He turned to the door, ready to scream out for someone to let him out already and was startled to find it open. A new, younger man was standing just inside the doorway, shocked and face aflame. Jesus. How many of them were there? It was like the house of the felonious Lost Boys.

Sharp spoke up. “Aw, doc. Don’t be sore. You were doing so good. I didn’t have the heart to stop you.”

Kihyun whirled around, livid. “You-“

Sharp brought his hand up in the air to halt him. “Hey, I’ll give you few pointers, you know, just in case you ever find yourself in this situation again. For starters, you went from cold to hot in a blink of an eye. It was glaringly obvious. Two, never, and I mean never, stop the sex act to ask your questions. Sometimes it’s even more effective to wait until after your target comes. It helps if you get yourself turned on too. You’re not a girl, you can’t fake that.” He eyed the doctor up and down. “Want to come back and give it another go?”

What he wanted was to scream his lungs out. Fucking hell, he was getting off this planet once and for all. He blew past the stupefied boy and gripped the door frame, glaring back at his patient for the last time. “Get well soon, Mr. Sharp,” he gritted out, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sharp barked out a laugh. Gunhee thought it sounded a whole lot like ‘Fuck you, asshole.’ He fell back onto the bed, grinning. “Cute.”

He took himself in hand and looked at the boy still standing by the door. “You might want to get out of here, kid.”

\--

Kihyun found the wonder twins in an office downstairs. The French doors were cracked and when he peered in, an older man he hadn’t seen yet looked up from the desk. He shuffled papers into a file and locked it in a drawer. “Dr. Yoo, Come in. Take a seat. How’s our patient?”

The blond and brunet perked up, looking at Kihyun expectantly.

“Just swell,” he bit out.

They nodded to the older man and sprinted up the stairs.

He took one of the vacated seats. It was warm. The man behind the desk looked to be about fifty or so. He was handsome in a peculiar way. Silver threaded through his black wavy hair and trimmed beard. Something about him niggled at the back of his mind, out of reach; a connection he should be making but couldn’t. He had the air of a distinguished aristocrat. Kihyun dubbed him the Count.

Although, he already struck out three times. Deciding why the hell not, Kihyun pressed his luck. “Who are you?”

He smiled at Kihyun. “No names, I’m afraid. We are very grateful for your services though, Dr. Yoo. That troublemaker upstairs means a lot to us.” He cleared his throat. “The boys informed me of your mistreatment yesterday. I realize nothing could ever make up for that, but I sincerely apologize.”

Kihyun ‘sincerely’ wasn’t willing to accept any apologies from this bastard. This man was obviously the ringleader of the operation. He changed the subject. “What is it that you do?”

The Count raised his brows. “You like to fish, hmm?” He scratched his jaw. The bristles made a pleasant sound. “I suppose you could say I’m a matchmaker of sorts…for things outside the realm of romance.”

“Illegal things?” he inquired.

The ambiguous smile returned. “Occasionally. In my line of work, I’ve found the distinction between legal and illegal to be a bit convoluted.”

Kihyun’s eyes went to the drawer the man had closed earlier. “Am I really only here to treat that Lothario up there?”

What was in there? Why take a doctor from a ship like the U.S.S. Newton? Was it a ploy to lure the Newton? With his tracker gone that didn’t make sense. Maybe to keep the ship stationed at Thalos IV for some reason.

On the other hand, he could be over-thinking this. Everyone always said he over complicated everything. Sharp was definitely in need of medical attention. Surely, that wasn’t planned. Right? Kihyun’s face was occasionally recognized in public. He was a prominent fixture in the medical field. Maybe when they contracted Flynn, they only asked for a doctor and Flynn just happened to be at Hotel Althena eating dinner and thought ‘bingo.’ Yeah, right. That made absolutely no sense. He was getting a headache.

“Were you hoping for another reason?” the Count inquired, brow arched.

“No,” Kihyun immediately responded.

The Count tracked Kihyun’s gaze back to the drawer. “Yes, you were only here for the young man upstairs. But, now that you’re done, why don’t we get you back home?”

He stood and came around the desk. Kihyun remained seated, unsatisfied.

The man leaned back against the front of the desk, considering him. “I can see the gears turning in your head, Dr. Yoo. That file? It’s inventory. You Starfleet people are all the same, looking for trouble where there is no trouble. Come on, I’ll walk you back to the ship. Please convey my apologies to Captain Son. I’m sure we’ve stirred up a bit of a ruckus, yes?”

‘You’ve stirred up a bit of a ruckus,’ he thought darkly.

“And who shall I say it’s from?” Kihyun asked sweetly.

The man chuckled. “I like you, Dr. Yoo. I can see why the captain and crew like you so much.”

…Huh?

Kihyun was startled by a barrage of laughter from the top of the stairs as they walked to the front door. It sounded like quite a few people. He craned his neck to look up the stairs and into the light of Sharp’s open door, but he couldn’t see anybody from his position. Captain Son was going to be severely disappointed with his sure to be lackluster report.

True to his word, the Count had Kihyun in route within the hour. The men on board were quiet. It was still quite early and Flynn had to wake them all up in order to get going. The lingering stress that had wracked his body began to dissipate. With the knowledge that this ordeal was almost over, he let the hum of the ship lull him to sleep.

—

“Hey, sweetheart. Rise and shine.” Flynn nudged at his foot with a boot and pulled him up to stand. The ramp was already deployed. He must have slept hard, but he snapped out of it quickly at the prospect of home.

Heart pounding and clutching his parasite souvenir, they stepped down onto the ground. He was hit with an intense wave of heat. It almost took the breath from his lungs. Kihyun looked around, confused. “Wait. This isn’t Thalos IV. Where are we?”

“Precautionary measure.” Flynn said. “We can’t just drop you back at the hotel, can we? They’d be waiting for us there. This is Tangor. Be real sure to remember that name. Okay, kid?”

He handed an old communicator to him and Kihyun looked at it, perplexed. “What? You’re not seriously going to leave me here.”

Flynn approached him, flipping out a metal baton.

Kihyun threw a hand out, backing up. “Wait! Please!”

Flynn pressed forward. “No more gas, I’m afraid, and we need to get some distance between you and us.” 

Kihyun ran and made it five steps before the baton connected with the side of his head. The communicator and container dropped from his hands and he stumbled.

“Sorry, sweetheart.” The baton smashed against the back of his head and he fell to the ground, drifting to darkness.

\--

Yoonho and Seokwon pulled back from Sharp, grinning.

“You’re alive,” Yoonho said.

“You’re not paralyzed,” Seokwon added.

“Why is Yoo Kihyun in our home? I thought I was dreaming.” Sharp asked.

“You were unconscious. We couldn’t wake you up. Commander was gone on business. We had no choice but to contact him. He pulled some strings and had him delivered here. Then Dr. Yoo came in, stripped you naked and found this, like, soul-sucking leech on you,” Yoonho said.

“And then he cut you open and it was so cool. I mean was scared for you, but that was crazy. Dr. Yoo is kind of a badass. Yoonho almost fainted,” Seokwon said.

“I did not.” Yoonho argued.

“I’m really happy you’re okay, Gun. We were all worried,” Minkyun said.

“Yeah, is everything working? Your back? Dr. Yoo said spinal stuff can really mess you up. Shit, does your dick work?” Seokwon asked.

Sharp huffed, amused. “It works just fine. I pretty much had a lapful of Yoo and he smelled like my shampoo and was wearing my clothes. He’s impossibly soft and just as sweet and feisty up close as he is from far away.”

Kwanji was unimpressed. “Well, I’m glad you had fun. This whole operation to save your ass was a huge fuck-up. Dr. Yoo was supposed to see only two faces. Yours and Yoonho’s. Instead, he’s also seen Seokwon’s, Minkyun’s and thanks to Minkyun’s idiocy, let Dr. Yoo waltz out the room and see the Commander.”

“I said I was sorry! I got distracted with the bed and the touching and the breathing,” Minkyun defended.

Yoonho smacked Sharp’s head, “Gun, what the hell?”

Sharp rubbed his head and grinned. “He set a honey trap or at least tried to. Hilarious, really. These blue balls he left me with though? Not a laughing matter. In fact, like I was just telling the kid, if you guys could leave that’d be great. I need to replay and memorize that whole thing before I lose any of it.”

“Cool your dick and snap out of it. He’s a mark, not a boyfriend,” Kwanji said from the chair. “Your dream boy was kidnapped and nearly raped on account of you. He probably despises you. With good reason.”

Sharp looked at Yoonho for an explanation.

“One of Flynn’s men. I don’t know what he was thinking, but...it was a very near thing.”

“He’s very dead,” Seokwon assured.

Guilt churned in Gun’s belly. A part of him noticed the marks on the man, but he didn’t make anything of it. He shouldn’t have played with the doctor. “Why did you take him in the first place? That makes no sense. Isn’t it the exact opposite of we’re supposed to be doing?”

“Commander saw it as an opportunity to get ears on the Newton. When they snatched him from the hotel, they planted that recording device you’ve been working on inside the lining of his bag. We’ll be able to hear what’s happening anywhere he takes it and inside his quarters,” Minkyun explained.

“Yeah, I’m not following. We crossed Dr. Yoo off the list months ago. He’s not part of their covert operations. And, if there was any lingering doubt, I can now guarantee you he’s not. Not after that laughable, but very hot, mind you, attempt at seducing me. There’s not an ounce of guile in that delectable body. Why waste that device on him? It took me months.”

“Because he may not be a part of it, but he’s close with the people we know are. Hyungwon? Lee Hoseok? Im Changkyun? They’re friends. And, haven’t we all at one point considered there’s something between him and Captain Son? Sure, it would have been great to plant it on one of them, but they’re impossible targets. Hyungwon’s not reliable anymore. Dr. Yoo is innocent, easy and just happens to have access to those people. You almost dying was a ‘two birds, one stone’ kind of operation,” Yoonho said.

Still a waste of that device, Sharp thought. Also, Kihyun’s seen them now. How were they supposed to continue field surveillance? Kihyun and Jooheon had been his marks. People he had been not twenty feet away from at various times and places. “So, what happens now?”

Yoosu pushed away from the dresser, speaking up for the first time. “It means you’re not babysitting the Newton’s crew anymore. Neither are Yoonho or Seokwon. Dr. Yoo could make any of you in a crowd. It’s too dangerous. Congratulations. You’ve all been promoted to operations full-time.”

Sharp took a moment to absorb that information. Hell, if all he had to do was show his face to Dr. Yoo or Jooheon to get bumped to missions, he’d have done it long ago. It was about damn time. A smile spread and then a more pressing matter occurred to him. “Kihyun was in my shower?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I am way too stupid to be writing a Star Trek fic. I was just watching the first three episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and those writers must be NASA rejects or something. I don't know anything about space. Fml. Also, how boring is the Medical Department? They have those stupid tricorder things that immediately tell you what the problem is and the tanning bed things that heal anything. I'm going to have to keep putting Kihyun in situations where he can't use that stuff. 
> 
> After reading this chapter, you might be thinking, "Oh, finally. There is a plot emerging." Trust me, there is not. There is no plot yet and I am freaking out. This is kind of a secondary plot that has a lot to with another character's development. 
> 
> Just badger me for updates and maybe that will force a plot to the surface.


	6. Home

For a long time, he only existed between each throb of his head. Grateful for each millisecond in between. The sun burned his lips and exposed skin. How much time had passed? The sunlight was painfully bright behind his eyelids. He was breathing, but it didn’t feel like he was getting enough oxygen. It was too hot. Too hot to survive long term without shelter or water. Willfully pushing through the pain, he opened his eyes and struggled to sit. He wanted to throw up. He brought his hands to his head. Fuck. Was hitting him really necessary?

The outdated communicator was by his hip and he turned it on. Frustrated, he tried to recall the correct numbers. This device was ancient. It wouldn’t connect to the Newton Command Deck simply by asking it to. He called the one number he knew by heart.

“Hello?”

“Minhyuk!” Kihyun croaked and coughed. His throat was achingly dry.

“Kihyun?! Where are you? Are you okay? I’ve been worried sick.”

His blistered lips cracked on an aborted smile. It was good to hear his voice. “Min, I need someone to come get me. Can you take this call to the bridge?”

“Yes. Wait a sec.” Kihyun heard Minhyuk jogging, his breaths crackled against his ear. “You’re okay though?”

“Define okay.” Kihyun laid back down to stop the spinning.

“Captain!” Minhyuk shouted.

“Dr. Lee, this is a United Star Ship. We do not run or scream on the command deck.” Hyunwoo admonished.

“It’s Kihyun,” Minhyuk panted.

Hyungwon got up and snatched the communicator from him, transmitting the connection to the main viewer.

Hyunwoo heard static over the line. “Dr. Yoo? Are you okay?”

A moment passed with nothing. The main viewer showed the connection still in progress. “Dr. Yoo. Respond.” Hyungwon shared a look with him.

“I’m okay, Captain.” He didn’t sound okay, Hyunwoo thought, he sounded confused.

“What is your location?” More time passed.

“Dr. Yoo? We can’t trace your location through this connection. Do you have coordinates?”

“No coordinates. I’m on…Tangor.”

Lieutenant Chae was already pulling Tangor onto the viewer. “Class H planet. It’s not far, Captain.”

“Dr. Yoo, what do you see?”

“There’s some fault block mountains to the…I don’t know. I can’t tell what direction. They’re far. Maybe sixteen to twenty kilometers? There’s nothing here. Just dry red clay. The sun is too close, too hot.”

The task force met about Kihyun shortly after he was declared missing. All manner of ideas were thrown around: ransom, collateral, a bargaining chip, sex trafficking, a criminal needing medical attention. While it was possible that this was not connected to the Newton or its covert operations, they didn’t believe that to be the case, which meant this could be a trap. They had been expecting contact from the ones that took him, not Kihyun.

Hyunwoo hoped Kihyun was well enough and sharp enough to recognize a veiled question. He needed confirmation Kihyun was alone, that he didn’t have a phaser to his head, that this wasn’t an ambush, that they weren’t listening in. “Dr. Yoo, do you need me to relay anything to Yongguk?”

There a was a long pause. “I- No, but, would you mind sending someone to check-in on him for me?”

Hyunwoo motioned for Ensign Jeong to mute. “Lieutenant Chae, take an officer. Go on ahead and confirm safety. Locate Dr. Yoo. We’ll be on standby to beam you up.”

Hyungwon nodded, squeezing Minhyuk’s shoulder as he passed and left the deck.

“We’re on our way Dr. Yoo, stay on the line.”

Kihyun tried to stay awake. He really did, but it was hot. His head throbbed. The sun hurt his eyes and his skin. He curled in on himself with the communicator to his ear in one hand and the parasite in the other and waited. He lost the battle moments later.

\--

Hyungwon glided over Tangor. Half of the planet matched Kihyun’s description. Kihyun stopped responding to questions from command an hour ago. Something on this planet messed with satellite scans. Thus, he was left to fly lower and search using his own eyes with Lieutenant Yeol, crossing off each lateral stretch at a time. He set out a new stretch to search and they grew desperate. If the temperature gauge was right, it was over 120 degrees.

Captain Son sent out more teams to help at his request. It was slow going and frustrating, but they eventually spotted him. “Lietenant Chae to command. Found him.”

Landing, Hyungwon opened the hatch and jogged over to the form, crouching down. “Kihyun?” He shook his shoulder. “Kihyun? Wake up.” He tapped the side his face. He was breathing at least.

“Hell, Yoo,” he said. The doctor, always so immaculately put to together, every strand perfectly in place, uniform perfectly pressed, was a mess. Blood matted his hair to the right side of his head. His lips were blistered and chapped, face and skin red. Small bruises, like fingerprints, mottled his wrists and neck. He held a container to his chest with a dried-up dead bug. Leave it to Kihyun to return from a kidnapping with a science project. He gathered him into his arms and scooped him up.

He hit his badge. “Lietenant Chae and Yoo Kihyun to beam up. Have sick bay ready to receive.”

\--

Hyunwoo observed Kihyun through the glass, definitely awake as he snatched the tablet from the nurse’s hands and began reviewing and editing his own medical report.

A flustered Dr. Miyeon saw him through the glass and left the room to join him.

“How is he?”

“Well, he’s definitely concussed. He’ll need to stay here overnight. Someone is going to need to bench him for the next week. I’ll leave you the honors. I’m not about to tell my boss he can’t work. He also received another significant blow to the side of his head. Heatstroke, but that’s been remedied. Sun-poisoning. Other than that, his injuries are mild. Some bruising and abrasions. His blood pressure was quite low, and he’s taking an IV right now. We’ve inserted a new chip. He’ll heal up just fine with some rest.”

“We need him to report and answer questions. Is he capable?”

Dr. Miyeon looked at him reproachfully. “He only he got here a few hours ago. He needs to rest, recover.”

Hyunwoo raised a brow. “I asked if he was capable.”

Dr. Miyeon pursed her lips. “His faculties seem in order, considering. If you insist on doing this now, take what he says with a grain of salt. Be patient. Concussions muddle a person’s head. Memory loss, fatigue, an inability to concentrate, confusion. His responses to my inquiries were…lacking to say the least and he doesn’t feel well, despite the show of stubbornness in the other room right now.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Understood. When that IV is finished, and he’s eaten something, send him to the war room.”

\--

Hyunwoo, Hoseok, Hyungwon and Changkyun were gathered in one corner of the room, heads bent in discussion when Kihyun entered the war room.

Hyunwoo watched the doctor stop in his tracks, looking around with curiosity. Dr. Yoo never had cause to be here before. The war room was just a room. A long oblong table was at the center with high leatherback chairs. The table was able to produce 3D imagery above it. It was often used for planning missions for both the Newton and Unit X.

Kihyun had changed from the sick bay gown into more comfortable attire, jogging pants and a long-sleeved tee-shirt. The man was severely sunburned and his skin shone with some kind of salve or aloe. His eyes flitted around to the occupants in the room.

“Dr. Yoo. Thank you for coming. Please take a seat.” Hyunwoo gestured to a chair front and center.

Kihyun nodded. “Captain.”

Kihyun gingerly took the seat. He looked small in it. The rest of the room followed suit, sitting along the other side of the table, facing him. He looked intimidated.

“We’ll be recording this debriefing in Starfleet’s logs. Do you have any questions before we begin?” Hyunwoo asked.

“I guess not. I don’t know what I would even ask.”

Kihyun was starting to fidget. Hyunwoo had never seen Kihyun fidget before.

Hoseok rose to pour a glass of water at a side bar and set it in front in Kihyun. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. We’ll be leading the debriefing. We’ll ask you questions, probably more than you think is necessary. We’ll ask you to expand your answers. Try to recall every minute detail. We also want to know your impressions, any theories you may have. You are our only witness. This will take a while. If you need a break, let us know.”

Kihyun murmured his understanding.

Hyunwoo nodded encouragingly. “Record commence for Starfleet case K927M633. Dr. Yoo, on stardate 54874, detail your activities leading up to your arrival to Hotel Althena.”

His brows rose. “Um. I went to the Horticulture Zone for service from 7 am to 10 am. Then to the gym until 11:30. I got ready, had lunch. I went to the medical laboratory for a couple hours. After that, I stayed in my quarters till I left for the hotel.”

“Who did you talk to in any capacity during that time and where?” Hoseok asked.

“Hyungwon, I mean, Lieutenant Chae in the Horticulture Zone, Guru Saraswati after yoga class, Dr. Lee Minhyuk and Officer Jooheon in the cafeteria, Intern Marle and Dr. Miyeon in the med lab, and Minhyuk again in my quarters.”

“Why were you working in the medical lab while on leave?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun narrowed his eyes at Hyunwoo. “I was checking on a few gene mutations.”

“Did anyone know of your plans for the evening?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yes. Minhyuk, Jooheon and Hyungwon.”

Hyungwon scrolled through a tablet and looked at Kihyun. “You arrived at the restaurant, Lucia, just before 7:00. You met Dr. Lee Dongwook, Head Professor of Pathology at Starfleet Science Academy. What is your relationship to him and what was the purpose of the meeting? If you could tell us what you talked about. Did you imbibe any alcohol?”

Kihyun grew hot. Thankfully, the blush didn’t show considering how sunburned his face was. “Dr. Dongwook is a former professor. We occasionally consult each other on research. I had almost two glasses of wine. Do you really want me to explain all the medical stuff we talked about?”

“We can return to that later. Did the Newton come up in your conversations? You had two glasses of wine. Were you impaired in any way?” Hyunwoo asked.

“I was fine, relaxed, but not impaired. As far as the Newton, we only talked in terms of my role as Chief Medical Officer. He did inquire about my quarters once. Dongwook doesn’t have anything to do with this though. You don’t think that, do you?”

“No, at least not intentionally,” Hyunwoo said.

“Dr. Dongwook booked a hotel room after dinner. Was this a pre-planned or spontaneous event? Have meetings in the past ended in similar ways? Did you talk about getting a room while in the restaurant?” Changkyun asked.

Kihyun flushed again and looked around, flustered.

“Nothing leaves this room, Dr. Yoo. This is to determine if your or Dr. Dongwook’s actions were predictable to an outside party.” Hyunwoo explained.

Kihyun took a sip of water. “I met him knowing it was a possibility. We’ve only…once before and yes, we did talk about getting a room in the restaurant.”

“Were any of your abductors in the restaurant or did anyone stand out? Take a moment to think about it.” Changkyun said.

The only people he could remember were the business men’s hungry eyes on him. “No? I wasn’t paying attention to other people.”

Kihyun continued to answer question after question for the next hour. Hyunwoo could tell he was getting tired, his responses a little shorter, a little slower. He kept rubbing his temple, closing his eyes. It was probably time to end this for the day. They’d already gone through the events twice and there was always tomorrow. Then, Hoseok asked a question that jolted Kihyun.

Hoseok was scrolling back up the self-updating report displayed on the desk. “Okay, we need to go over this again. You arrived at the unknown Class M destination with the three moons and familiar woods and supposedly many lakes. Flynn dropped you off approximately half a mile down the road from the house. Then you immediately jumped to talking to the young men in the kitchen. How did you get to the kitchen? Did Flynn take you there? Did the young men meet you at Flynn’s ship? How were you introduced to them?”

Kihyun’s eyes snapped up to Hoseok, who was still looking down at the report. Hyunwoo could have sworn they fluttered blue for a second. He had seen that icy blue exactly two times in the past. Once, when Dr. Yoo instinctively threw his body over an injured soldier he was treating when open fire broke out. His panicked blue eyes wide before squeezing them shut and bracing himself for the unknown. The other time being when Hyunwoo lost his composure and lashed out, harshly reprimanding him on the bridge in front of the entire crew. His eyes had turned for a moment as his face flamed in embarrassment or anger. Probably both.

“A man took me up to the house,” Kihyun answered.

“Tell us about him,” Hoseok said.

“Flynn called him Jefferson. I don’t know. He had a large build, short brown hair. Nothing that stands out.” Kihyun shrugged jerkily.

Changkyun frowned and made a notation on his tablet.

“Did he walk into the house with you or knock? Did the young men seem familiar with Jefferson, like they’ve worked with him in the past? I’m asking because we have two names now, Flynn and Jefferson, granted not full names, but if we can find either of them and they have an established business relationship with the contractors, we may be able to track them back to the planet you were taken to,” Hyunwoo said.

“No, I don’t think they had a close business relationship,” Kihyun responded, closed off.

Hoseok ran a hand through his hair, picking up on Kihyun’s change in behavior. “Why do you say that? Dr. Yoo, I want to remind you that it is illegal to lie or omit information during a Starfleet investigation. You’ve answered everything up to this point commendably. What’s going on? Are you tired? Do you need a break?”

Kihyun looked at Hoseok angrily. “No. I want to finish this.”

“Very well. Jefferson walks you up to the house then, what?” Hoseok pressed.

Kihyun swallowed, looking at edge of the table before him. “He checked me for weapons. It got a little rough. I guess the commotion alerted the men inside. The blond shot him. Then I went inside with them.”

The occupants in the room stared at Kihyun. “And you just decided to leave that out? That’s a pretty meaningful bit of information, Dr. Yoo,” Hoseok censured. “Were any words exchanged between Jefferson and the men before firing?”

“Yes. Maybe. I’m not sure.”

“You were right there. It’s a yes or a no.” Hoseok pushed.

Changkyun gently interrupted, “How was their affect? Calm, angry, shocked?” 

“I don’t know.”

“Think,” Hoseok pressured.

“I…,” Kihyun looked around helplessly and tucked his fingers under his thighs. “I don’t remember. I was out of it. Dizzy.”

Hyunwoo hit Hoseok’s thigh under the table and while he didn’t acknowledge him, he abandoned the question. “So, is Jefferson injured or dead?” Hoseok asked.

“Dead,” he said. The room seemed disappointed with that piece of information.

Hoseok continued to grill him into the next hour. Hyunwoo, Changkyun, Hyungwon, and a couple other occupants interjecting their own questions along the way. Their voices grated like nails on a chalkboard as his head pounded. Even blinking hurt. They had him describe the individuals he met and one of the members drew them, their images displayed above the table. Besides Sharp, whom he spent most of the night staring at, their profiles were vague. Kihyun doubted himself. Was the blond’s nose higher? The brunet’s cheeks rounder? Was the scar on Flynn’s neck on the left or the right? The only thing he could recall about the Count was his hair and approximate age. He couldn’t even remember their conversation. Like water slipping through fingers, he couldn’t recall the details anymore and he didn’t trust the details he could recall.

They eventually dismissed him and he alone rose. The others stayed seated waiting for him to leave. His eyes flitted around the room. “Good evening,” he said. It felt like they were all disappointed in him.

“Dr. Yoo, I’ll need you to stop by my office tomorrow morning. Standard procedure,” Changkyun said.

Kihyun nodded and headed for the door, relieved it was over.

The door slid shut behind Kihyun. Hyungwon turned to Hoseok. “You couldn’t have taken it a little easier on him? He’s not one of your soldiers.”

Hoseok’s face hardened. “I’m not his friend in here. I’m the Chief Tactical Officer and if I hadn’t pushed, we wouldn’t have half the information we have now.”

“You did fine, Commander,” Hyunwoo said. The ability to compartmentalize was key and Hoseok led the debriefing diligently. It couldn’t have been easy to grill his friend like that. Even Hyunwoo was ready to shut it down early. Dr. Yoo was clearly exhausted and unwell.

Hyunwoo spoke to the room at large. “This meeting is adjourned. Be sure to send me your reports before morning. If my council will remain.”

The occupants filed out, leaving Hyungwon, Changkyun and Hoseok at his side.

“I know that we rejected the idea at first, but it seems to me that this really could have been about just needing a doctor, but…” Hyungwon said.

“Go on,” Hyunwoo urged.

Hyungwon splayed his long fingers on the desk, gathering his thoughts. “I get the feeling that these people had eyes on him for a while now or the ship as a whole. Don’t you get the impression that they had some kind of familiarity with him? A certain amount of care for his well-being? They killed a man for hurting him. They fed him. They let him shower, provided clothes, a pillow, a blanket, even a toothbrush. More than any of that, they trusted him to be alone in a room with their unconscious brother. That speaks to them having some kind of knowledge to the kind of person Kihyun is.”

Changkyun agreed. “If they had been watching us, it would make taking Kihyun relatively easy. Name a time Kihyun hasn’t gone off-ship when there’s a new, sparkly city in reach. It’s predictable. I mean, it’s very similar to what we do, isn’t it? Surveille ships. We know all kinds of intimate details about other ships and their crew. The U.S.S. Voltaire and the Hemmingway, for example. There’s no reason why our own methods couldn’t have been turned around on us.”

“Or there could be an informant inside the ship. Kihyun beamed directly to Hotel Althena. Did they have a team out there looking for him or did they know where he would be?” Hoseok speculated.

“Dr. Im, you looked more closely at Dr. Lee Dongwook after your initial interrogation. Anything new to report?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Passed inspection with flying colors. The only thing of note in the past two years was an award for teaching, being inducted into the Federation’s Medical Board, and an amicable divorce. They still lunch.”

“Yeah, but-,” Hoseok began.

“I know you didn’t like his responses at the hotel, Hoseok. That ‘off’ feeling you picked up on had to do with guilt. Without divulging too much, he was worried that the foreplay he initiated at the table put Kihyun in the spotlight and consequently, in danger.”

Hyungwon’s brow quirked. “Sounds about right,” he mumbled.

“Then why didn’t he speak up at the hotel? That could have been a lead,” Hoseok argued.

Changkyun shrugged. “Perhaps he was ashamed, embarrassed.”

“And his personal feelings were more important than Kihyun’s safety?” Hoseok clenched his jaw.

“He did tell us. He told me,” Changkyun explained slowly. “Don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you’re pretty intimidating when you’re in Chief Tactical mode.”

“Alright, enough. We are well aware of Commander Lee’s feelings towards Dr. Dongwook.” Hyunwoo looked at his council, considering. “In any case, it appears we have a long-term project ahead of us. Let’s readjourn tomorrow morning to plan how we want to move forward. For now, Hoseok, gather a team to comb the ship for any bugs, cameras, etc. Covertly. Start with Dr. Yoo’s room since he’s in sick bay for the night. Reach out and have someone from Earth check Dr. Dongwook’s home and office.”

Hoseok nodded. “I’ll get Murdoc, Zhen and Choi,” he said still scrolling through the debriefing. He looked at Changkyun. “If he says anything tomorrow, add it to the report.”

Changkyun scoffed. “Absolutely not. Tomorrow is about his feelings, his mentality and helping him cope with the trauma of this experience that he is very clearly downplaying. If you want more from him, call him back here. What he confides in me tomorrow is protected under patient-doctor privilege. It’s private. Kihyun is not one of our X targets, where we throw rules and morals to the wind.”

Hoseok closed his eyes, tired. “Sorry. You’re right, of course. I just want to find these guys.”

“We will. Drop this for the evening. I think it’s quite possible Kihyun got more sleep than we did the past few days. Go back to your quarters, unwind. I’ll return to the bridge.” Hyunwoo dismissed them.

\--

Kihyun stepped into Dr. Im’s office. Arguably the nicest suite on the ship. Large with soft cream walls and a holoscreen that took up the entirety of the far wall, currently set to a dew-covered forest. Behind Changkyun, an assortment of framed pictures and photos hung in a stylistic pattern. Kihyun recognized a couple of his own works up there. A close-up of a flower being assaulted by a purple downpour and a black and white candid picture of the Captain, Lieutenant Chae and Dr. Im caught laughing in their formal uniforms at the Starfleet Gala last year. A candle burned on the coffee table by the settee across the room, but Kihyun chose to sit on the sofa in front of Changkyun’s desk.

“How are you today, Dr. Yoo?”

He would never get used to seeing Changkyun as Dr. Im. Just last weekend, they were playing a drinking game: a shot for each time a cock appeared during a Spartacus marathon. As a medical professional, he wouldn’t recommend it. “I’m well.”

Changkyun gathered the papers that were in front of him into a pile. He sat back and regarded Kihyun thoughtfully. “I know you told the debriefing committee about the events of your experience yesterday. Today, I’d like to go through it on a more personal level. Before we begin, I’m going to ask some general questions. Is that okay?” He looked to Kihyun for approval. 

“Fire away,” Kihyun said.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and picked up his stylus. “How did you sleep last night?”

“Good. Maybe ten hours.”

“How is your appetite? What did you eat for dinner? Did you have breakfast this morning?”

“It’s fine. I had a baked potato and salmon yesterday, a cherry yogurt this morning.”

“Physically, how do feel? Pain, aches, nausea, headaches?”

“My head hurts. My skin feels tight and I’m somehow both hot and cold, but otherwise normal,” Kihyun shrugged.

Changkyun cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. “Now, I don’t mean to rush into this, but I’ve looked over the file of your examination done by Dr. Miyeon and have seen the photos. Was there rape? Sexual assault?”

Kihyun started. “What? No. I was just manhandled a bit. It’s not a big deal,” he said dismissively.

Anger flitted across Changkyun’s face. Shit. It looks like Changkyun dropped Dr. Im in favor of the protective friend.

He dropped the stylus on the desk and raised a brow. “Not a big deal? Kihyun, you were kidnapped. Threatened. Taken god knows where. Hurt. It’s a big deal.”

Changkyun took his glasses off, cleaning the lens with a cloth. “Doctors really do make the worst patients. You’ve done Psych rounds during residency. Actively, sincerely participating makes this whole process run smoother. When you deflect like that, ‘not a big deal,’ it makes me think you’re hiding something. Don’t forget that I’m your friend. I can see that you’re rattled. I want you to talk to me and, as your doctor, I need you to talk to me.”

Kihyun didn’t respond. Changkyun waited. “You don’t have to talk today, but I will not sign my name next to ‘Psych’ on that clearance form until you do. This is a Starfleet ship, not Earth, things work differently here. As a Starfleet officer, you’re held to different standard.”

Kihyun’s lips thinned. “That’s not fair. I’m not some soldier who’s going to flip his shit on a mission. I’m a doctor.”

“Precisely. A doctor that is in charge of the lives and well-being of every person on this ship. A doctor who just four days ago performed heart surgery on the daughter of a very important ambassador necessary for continued peace. Can you see where I’m coming from?”

“I am fine,” he enunciated.

“You’re digging yourself deeper into a hole with this behavior. Give me something. Tell me how you felt. This doesn’t go beyond you and me.”

Minutes passed. Then, “Well, I’m getting to get back work. You can leave or sit there until you’re ready.” Changkyun pulled his keyboard to him and started typing.

Kihyun stewed in frustration. He was pretty sure Changkyun didn’t treat his other patients like this. Kihyun was pissed. Angry because he felt fragile and raw. He hated being in yet another situation he couldn’t escape. That his hand was being forced. He knew Changkyun well enough to know that he’d have no problem removing him from duty if he continued to stay silent. He’d done it plenty of times to Commander Lee.

There wasn’t anything for it. He had to cave, and he cursed Changkyun for it.

He didn’t know where to start. He didn’t want to think about any of it anymore. He blinked his eyes against the pictures that shuffled in his head. That feeling of fear that shot threw his chest as he swung open the door, expecting to see Dongwook, but seeing those strangers instead. How they so easily overpowered him against the door. He had no control, nowhere to go.

“I was scared,” he mumbled.

Changkyun stopped, returning his attention to Kihyun. “What specifically made you scared?”

He paused, trying to verbalize his thoughts. “The hotel. It was so fast. There wasn’t any time to react. Even if there was, what would I have done? I still don’t know. This sort of thing, it’s not what I do. I’ve been on missions that turned dangerous before, but there were always people with me. Trained, experienced, capable.”

“That’s understandable,” he said. “You were caught off guard and unprepared. Outnumbered.”

Kihyun nodded.

Changkyun continued. “Yesterday, you skirted around your injuries. Captain allowed it in front of the council out of courtesy, which, strictly speaking, he shouldn’t have. Personally, I agree with his decision. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I did tell you. That Jefferson guy roughed me up and then he was shot. Nothing happened.”

“Something happened. You’re covered in bruises down there. You don’t get those being walked up to a house or checked for weapons. The placement of those marks are indicative of something else entirely. You didn’t even have a place to put any weapons.”

This is exactly what he didn’t want to happen. He didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to confirm that something happened. Didn’t want anyone to know. It felt like he was about to be pushed off a cliff, or rather, be forced to jump off a cliff.

Kihyun focused on the pictures behind Changkyun, unable to meet his eyes, and jumped. “I’ve never been talked to like that before. No one’s ever touched me in a way I didn’t want before. No one’s ever hurt me before.”

Changkyun waited, giving him time.

Kihyun gripped the edge of the cushion. “He called me a whore. I’m not a whore.”

“Of course you’re not,” Changkyun assured.

“But, I was so stupid. I provoked him. I knew it was dangerous to do it. He warned me. Why did I do that? It’s exactly the kind of behavior the captain warned me about over and over again, told me it would come to bite me in the ass one day. He was right.”

“Kihyun, you are not to blame for anything that man did or said to you.”

He clenched his hands. “I was powerless against him and so dumb. I kept replaying it over and over last night. Why didn’t I scream? If I had screamed, those men inside would have come right out. I gave up too easily. Hardly put up a fight at all and I don’t know why. I didn’t want him to hurt me anymore. I wanted it to be over. I just laid there for him. I was going to just let him do it.” 

“That is a normal and common response to events such as this. You were scared and shocked. Those feelings control our reactions in a variety of ways, whether it’s freezing, fleeing, fighting, or any combination of the those things. But, Kihyun, look at me. You did exactly what you had to do. Do you understand that?”

Kihyun frowned. “You wouldn’t have just laid there. I don’t know anybody that would have. Minhyuk? Hoseok? Jooheon? Hyungwon? No way.”

“You don’t know how someone will act in any given situation. That’s also not a fair comparison. Me, Hoseok, Hyungwon? We’ve spent half of our lives training under high stress modules and the other half performing under high stress, dangerous conditions. That would be like handing a saw and scalpel to the captain and asking him to perform brain surgery. Would he be able to do it? You weren’t trained for combat. You weren’t asked to.”

Kihyun smoothed his hands down his sweatpants, not sure what to say.

“Kihyun, I’m sorry you went through this. How are you feeling now?”

Kihyun picked at a stray thread and shrugged. “Sometimes I think I can smell him. I’ll just be lying down and I think I feel him licking me. I don’t want to remember it, but it’s this never-ending loop in my head now that I’m back. I don’t understand. I didn’t think about it once when I treated Sharp or any time after that, really. It wasn’t until last night.”

“It could have been your brain’s way of protecting you when you were unsafe. Personally, I think you consciously turned it off out of necessity. But now, you’re back home, safe. A place where you’re allowed to be vulnerable, and you were alone last night, free to feel without prying eyes.”

“But that’s just it. I don’t really feel anything. Even though I keep thinking about it, I feel nothing, like I’m numb to it. Like I don’t care.”

Changkyun hummed. “That’s also a common reaction. That feeling of numbness may stay. It may not. It’s also possible that you’re deluding yourself. Emotions may come in sudden bursts. Kihyun, overtime, you might find this horrible experience affecting you in ways you didn’t expect. You may not even be aware it’s affecting you at all. I’m not only talking about Jefferson. I’m talking about everything. I’m going to request biweekly sessions for the foreseeable future. We don’t have to talk about the assault or kidnapping necessarily. If you feel like talking about it, we will. If you want to talk about your daily life, we will.”

“Will you agree to biweekly sessions?” Changkyun questioned.

“I suppose. It’s not really a request, is it?” Kihyun guessed.

“Thank you, and no, it wasn’t a request. Outside of being scared, what else did you feel?”

Kihyun looked at the clock and sighed.

Changkyun’s mouth ticked. “Kihyun, there’s no need to look at the clock. There is no time limit on this and I have no other obligations today.” He steepled his fingers and prompted him again. “So, what else did you feel or think?”

“I don’t know. Alone. Helpless,” he grumbled. He didn’t want to go on. This open conversation was bringing emotions to surface. Emotions he would rather ignore.

“How so?”

Kihyun huffed and hugged a large throw pillow to his front. He rested his chin on it, considering. “My entire life, I don’t think I ever once felt helpless. Not one time. Even when my parents died. But the past two days? I’m not…I work in a clinic, write reports and vaccinate people. I’m not cut out for things like this.”

“No one expects you to be. For the record, any unarmed soldier on this ship would have been scared too. Unarmed. Handcuffed.”

Kihyun’s face crumbled and he struggled to smooth it out. He held the pillow tighter. The harrowing crux of the whole ordeal taking ahold of him. “He said he’d kill me if I didn’t stop.”

Changkyun watched his friend fighting to hold it together, to hold it down. He went around the desk to the couch and pulled Kihyun to him, throwing the pillow to the floor. He felt Kihyun’s chest trembling against him with restrained emotions. “Let it out, Ki.”

Kihyun shook his head against his shoulder, resisting, but the soothing hands rubbing his back wore him down minute by minute. The dam broke. He held onto Changkyun’s uniform and cried. Evidently, the tears really built up over the course of his adventure.

“He didn’t rape me,” he hiccuped into Changkyun’s shoulder.

“It’s still awful.”

“It was close,” he whispered miserably. Changkyun hugged him tighter.

By the time his eyes were burning and dry, the headache he walked in with evolved into a full-blown migraine.

Changkyun held onto Kihyun until his breathing normalized before pulling back and appraising him. His own shoulder was soaked with the man’s tears. He handed Kihyun a tissue and he blew his nose. Changkyun retrieved a chilled bottle of apple juice from the fridge and opened it for him. He sat back on the couch.

“I think we can stop here for today unless you want to continue,” Changkyun said. 

Kihyun shook his head, taking big gulps from the juice. It soothed his sore throat.

“Okay. That’s fine. You did well. I do need to tell you that you are officially off duty for the next week.”

Kihyun looked at him, upset.

Changkyun rushed on, “It doesn’t have anything to do with happened in here. I’ll sign the form. It came from Dr. Miyeon and the captain already approved it. I think it’s a good thing. You need rest. Relax. Cuddle up with Minhyuk and Jooheon and watch movies. Go for a walk. Be with your friends. If you want to talk before our next meeting, I’m here as your doctor or friend. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you.” Kihyun sniffled, his breath hitching again. He walked to the door. He put his hands on his face and looked back at Changkyun, distressed. His eyes were probably red and his face most likey swollen. “I can’t go out there like this.”

Changkyun smiled for the first time all morning. So very Kihyun. It was reassuring on some level. “Go lie down on the settee over there. You can stay as long as you want.”

Once Kihyun was curled up, he pulled a blanket from a drawer and covered him, dimmed the lights, and returned to his desk to work.

At noon, the door slid open. Hyunwoo walked in. Changkyun brought a finger to lips, frantically shushing him. Hyunwoo looked to the far side of the room. The back of Kihyun’s head peaked out from the blanket.

“Lunch?” Hyunwoo mouthed.

Changkyun nodded and went to blow the candle out before quietly slipping out with Hyunwoo.

\--

“So, how is he?” Hyunwoo asked, half-way through lunch. He manfully endured inane small talk for the past fifteen minutes so as not to seem too eager.

“Who?” Changkyun replied, mouth full.

Hyunwoo wasn’t impressed. “Who else has been kidnapped in the past 72 hours?”

Changkyun swallowed and took a drink. “He’s okay. I would tell you if he was unfit to perform. I did let him know he’s off duty for the next week. Took it surprisingly well.”

“He must have explained what happened for-,” Hyunwoo made a gesture to imply his whole body.

“He did and it’s none of your business. Patient-doctor privilege. Thought we went over this yesterday.” Changkyun shoveled a spoon of rice into his mouth.

Hyunwoo looked affronted. “I’m his captain. I have a right to know.”

Changkyun nodded. “You’re right. A captain does have the ‘right,’ but you’re not asking as a captain, are you? I’m asking you to trust me. I’m his doctor. He’ll return to work and continue to perform beyond our expectations as usual and, as a captain, that’s all you really need to know.”

Hyunwoo opened his mouth to argue, but Hoseok and Hyungwon sat down with their trays. The topic was officially closed.

Hoseok looked back and forth between them. “Interrupting something?”

“No.” They replied simultaneously.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “They were discussing Kihyun, obviously. How is the little lobster today?”

“He was discharged this morning from sick bay. You two should drop by his quarters later. He’s going to be bored without work,” Changkyun said.

“What?” Hyungwon grumbled. “Dr. Yoo and I are detention buddies. We bond over trashing the Captain and Commander Lee when we’re wrist deep in dirt. We definitely don’t hang out,” Hyungwon informed them. He looked at Hyunwoo. “No offense, Captain.”

“Hey!” Hoseok accused, “I outrank you and also, that’s bullshit. You two text all the time.”

“That’s not hanging out,” Hyungwon said.

“Actually, that is a nice gesture. You two be sure to check in on him later. Consider it an order,” Hyunwoo said.

“Was already planning on it,” Hoseok defended. He smiled at the captain. “You know what would be an even nicer gesture? A visit from the captain.”

Hyunwoo stuffed a large piece of steak in his mouth and chewed thoroughly. The three looked at him expectantly. Hyunwoo swallowed and dropped his shoulders. “I can’t. It would be awkward. We’re not close like you guys are. He’d just be uncomfortable.”

“You’d just leave uncomfortable,” Hyungwon muttered under his breath. Hoseok coughed.

“What?” Hyunwoo asked.

Hyungwon raised his brows innocently, “What?”

Changkyun hid a smile. “It’s not a bad idea. He’s your Chief Medical Officer. It would be nice if you expressed some interest in his welfare. All you’ve done is grill him in the war room. I think Dr. Yoo could use some kind words from his captain, some reassurance that he did well in a difficult situation. Also, if you visit him then you can assuage any worries you might have.”

“He’d leave needing to assuage something,” Hoseok said under his breath. Hyungwon grinned around his dumpling.

\--

It bothered Hyunwoo, what Changkyun said about showing interest in Kihyun’s welfare. Did it seem like he didn’t care? He did. He cared about every soul on this ship. It was the reason he was standing outside Kihyun’s door in civilian clothing later that night.

The door slid open. “Sorry, Captain. I was in the bath.”

“Hyunwoo’s fine. My leave began at 18:00.” Kihyun must have scrambled to throw on clothes. His face and neck were wet, hair frizzy from the steam. He looked young, dressed in a hoodie and sweats, bare-faced and sunburned. He smelled like lavender.

“Hyunwoo.” Kihyun amended. “Would you like to come in?” He stepped to the side.

It occurred to Hyunwoo that this was the first time the doctor spoke his name. He’d been called many other inventive things by the doctor like steroid-infused bimbo, stubborn giant, towering imbecile, dumb ogre and his personal favorite, suicidal masochist, but never Hyunwoo.

“I’m not intruding, am I? If you’d rather be alone-,” he said, partly hoping the doctor would turn him away.

“Not at all.” Kihyun padded to the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Whatever you’re having.” He heard Kihyun rummaging through the cupboards while he walked to the floor to ceiling shelving on the west wall. He perused the collection of books, photos, figurines, décor. He’d never been in here before. It was nice. Much smaller than his own, but open. The only room behind a door was the bathroom. The queen bed was unmade on the other side of the room. Red silk sheets peaked out from under the white duvet. His lips quirked. Kihyun’s quarters mirrored his personality. He picked up a framed photo from the shelf. Kihyun and Minhyuk hugging, cheeks smashed together and grinning at graduation.

“Feels like forever ago,” Kihyun said from behind him.

He turned and took the mug Kihyun offered. Chrysanthemum tea. “Thank you.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched. He never spent any time with the doctor one on one before either.

“Um?” Kihyun gestured to the couch questioningly.

“Sure,” he nodded. He took a seat on the leather cushion at the far end, one ankle propped up on his knee as he turned toward Kihyun, who was sitting crisscross on the other end.

“So, what brings you by Captain?”

“Hyunwoo,” he corrected. “I’ll be gone for a few days. I wanted to check in on you beforehand. See how you’re doing.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened and he took a sip from the mug nestled in his hands. “I’m doing fine. A week off duty is a bit much though, don’t you think? Maybe you could shorten it a little before you leave?” He asked hopefully.

“It’s not too little according to Dr. Miyeon and I’m inclined to side with a medical professional who has your best interests at heart.”

Kihyun sputtered. “I’m a medical professional with my own best interests at heart! What am I supposed to do all week?”

Hyunwoo shrugged, unaffected. “Whatever you want, as long as it’s not work. And don’t go asking Commander Lee behind my back when I’m gone. It’s a week.” This was more familiar territory between the two of them. He relaxed further into the cushions.

Kihyun huffed his displeasure and dropped it. “Where are you going on your time off?”

“I’ll be spending it aboard the Voltaire.”

“Ah, with Captain Hyolyn. Well, that should be…nice.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to see each other.”

Most people were aware of his ‘relationship’ with Captain Hyolyn. He’d heard all kinds of rumors about their sex life and nearly all of them were true. What people didn’t know was that Captain Hyolyn has been his mark for a year and a half now as Unit X built a case against her and her officials. Fucking her senseless had been his ticket aboard the ship. Whenever his mandatory leave came around, he boarded her ship and gathered intel whenever he wasn’t busy pounding her pussy against every surface of the ship to keep her happy. He compiled enough intel that this trip could end up being his last. There was just one loose end to tie up. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Kihyun nodded, not meeting his eyes. Hyunwoo figured he was probably thinking of all those ridiculous rumors.

Kihyun cleared his throat, “She’s very pretty and tall and strong, like you.” The doctor shook his head, eyes wide. “I mean, not that you’re pretty! I mean the ah, tall thing. You’re both…tall.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “You don’t think I’m strong?” he teased.

Kihyun scowled. “You know you’re strong.”

Hyunwoo drank some more, considering the younger man before him. “You’re strong, too.”

Kihyun’s brows scrunched in confusion. “Hardly. I barely passed Phys Ed.”

“I mean your character is strong. You have guts and resilience. I admire that about you.”

Silence stretched as Kihyun looked into his mug, thoughts turning dark.

“Kihyun, I don’t know all of what you went through over there and Dr. Im’s right. I don’t need to know. What I do know is that you will come through on top because you are strong. You did well, Dr. Yoo. Faced with an impossible situation, you kept your head on straight, reserved as much information as you were able and most importantly, you came back. Be proud of that. I am.”

Kihyun bit his chapped lip and nodded, darting a glance at him before looking down again.

“Hey. If you’re still bored in three days, I’ll cook dinner for you and bore you with captain things. It’ll make the remainder of your sick leave look positively thrilling.”

That brought Kihyun’s attention to him. He was holding out a metaphorical hand to the young doctor. He should have done it a long time ago. It didn’t make sense that they all had the exact same friends but kept distance between each other. It was his own fault. Kihyun had tried being friends with him at the beginning. Hyunwoo was stubborn. When he looked at Dr. Yoo, he didn’t see a friend; he saw a distraction, temptation. Kihyun was a good match for him, but it wasn’t something he had room for in his life. As a result, he largely ignored him until the moments the doctor disregarded orders or ran his mouth off, pushing him to respond.

“You cook?” Kihyun asked, distrusting.

Hyunwoo met his eyes. “I mean, I can’t make much, but I make a mean spaghetti and meatballs.”

Kihyun hummed, mouth settling in a determined line. “Okay. You’re on.”

Hyunwoo blinked. “You’re on? This isn’t a challenge, Kihyun. It’s dinner,” Hyunwoo clarified.

“I said okay,” Kihyun replied defensively.

He evaluated the doctor dubiously. “You’re not invited until after I’ve cooked it. I don’t need a backseat chef criticizing my every move.”

The doctor straightened up, indignant. “I am not a-“

“You’re a backseat everything.” Hyunwoo drained the rest of the tea and stood up. “Get some rest, Dr. Yoo. Thank you for the tea.”

He headed for the door and turned around. “Ah. By the way, I’ve revoked your key card access to the med labs, so don’t bother trying again. Your interns and colleagues have better things to do than tattletale on you. Three times in one afternoon? If I hear even a whisper that you’re hanging around there at any point this week, you’ll be irrigating dirt till Christmas. Don’t try me.” He left a surprisingly speechless Kihyun on the couch. Dr. Yoo not fighting to have the last word? Maybe that concussion really did mess him up.

\--

Kihyun only had ten minutes to himself before Minhyuk was at his door.

“Hi?” Kihyun said, letting his best friend in. The scientist was wearing pajamas and held a bag with his pillow stuffed in it.

“I’m so sorry, Ki. I’ve been an awful friend. There was this time-sensitive experiment I was in the middle of and it took all day. Took even longer because I kept thinking about you. Do you forgive me for leaving you alone?”

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing to forgive, and don’t worry, it appears I’m very popular today. Didn’t have much time to myself at all, really.” Kihyun went back to the couch and stretched out, eyeing the bag. “What’s with the bag? Are we having a slumber party?” he teased.

“Yes, we are,” Minhyuk stated, dropping the bag on the coffee table.

“Min, I don’t need a babysitter. I’m fine,” he whined.

“Well, I’m not fine. This is for me, not you. Do you know how worried I was? My heart was breaking while you were gone. What if you didn’t come back? I just need to be next to you, sleep next to you. Is that okay?” Minhyuk’s eyes were wet.

Kihyun sat up. “Oh, Min. Don’t cry. You’ll make me cry. Of course you can stay. I’d honestly really like it.” Kihyun got up and wrapped his arms around Minhyuk. “I’m sorry. I’m here. You don’t need to worry anymore.”

Minhyuk hugged him back. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again.”

“I hardly had a choice, Min, but I’ll try my best,” Kihyun said, running his hands up and down Minhyuk’s back.

“Are you tired or do you want to watch something? I brought your rocky road,” Minhyuk mumbled into his hair.

Kihyun squeezed him hard. “My hero. Let’s watch something mindless. I don’t want to think.”

They settled on the couch and decided on Legally Blonde. It was their go-to movie whenever they were close to burning out at the Academy. It became background noise as they chatted and ate ice cream.

Halfway through Elle’s study montage, Kihyun laid down and draped his legs over Minhyuk’s. “Hey Min, did you ever identify that mystery lover?”

He laughed. “You’ll have to be more specific. This is me we’re talking about.”

Kihyun pinched his arm. “The one that left a smiley face of hickeys on your ass and put a spring in your step for a whole week.”

Minhyuk actually blushed. “Oh. That one. I have no idea. Don’t even know how to begin looking. We already know it’s someone on the ship since it happened in my quarters. Pretty sure it’s a man, unless some lady was walking around with monster strap-on, but I also definitely fucked the person too. Every muscle in my body was delightfully sore and aching. Life is cruel. I finally find a person that can keep up with me and I black out. I can’t even remember it, just flashes, and I know it’s the best I’ve had,” he lamented. “Don’t you dare look at me like that. I know what you’re going to say.”

“That you should cut yourself off after four? Fine, I won’t say it.”

Minhyuk ran his hands up and down the legs in his lap. It felt nice.

“I’m sorry your date was ruined, Ki.”

“Work dinner.”

“Whatever. Were you two able to…?”

Kihyun sighed tragically. “No.”

Kihyun eyed Minhyuk, hesitant. “But…”

Minhyuk’s eyes shined with excitement and he slapped his calves. “What? Tell me.”

He kicked his legs in Minhyuk’s lap. “Ugh, I can’t believe I’m telling you this. You ever breathe a word of this and I’ll kill you. I’m a doctor. I know how to make it slow and painful.”

“Oh my god. You’re about to burst into flames. What is it?”

Kihyun looked down and played with the hem of his sweatshirt. “So, we were at the restaurant and we had this really nice dinner, you know? We talked and talked and he reviewed my report and I was thinking to myself, ‘How am I going to bring up getting a room?’ because he wasn’t acting like there was going to be a repeat performance like last time.”

Kihyun put his hands over his face. “And then he put his foot on me. Like, on me. And I don’t know what came over me. Min, I humped his foot in the restaurant.” He peaked out between his fingers, witnessing Minhyuk looking at him in shock. “It gets even worse. He slipped his foot under me and oh my god, it felt so good. I rode it. I rode a damn foot, Min.”

Minhyuk opened his mouth to say something.

“No, wait! I’m still not done,” Kihyun said hysterically. “There was this table of men just to the left of us and they knew it. They were watching me, but I just couldn’t stop. I didn’t even want to stop. I was seconds away from coming and I don’t know if it was the feet or their eyes, but I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Minhyuk disentangled himself from the legs and crawled over Kihyun, prying his hands away from his face. He wore a look of absolute glee on his face. “I have never been so proud of you, Ki.” He kissed his forehead. It felt extra warm on his sunburn.

“Proud? I was grinding myself on a foot. In public,” Kihyun said pitifully.

Minhyuk snorted. “Of course you were, babe. Is it any wonder? It’s only been a year. You probably would have got off on a baguette if it was available.”

“Eleven months,” Kihyun corrected and tried to turn his head away. Minhyuk wouldn’t allow it.

“Same difference. And it was the eyes and being in public, not the foot. It could have just as easily been a hand, or a mouth, or a dick.” Minhyuk gently ruffled his hair. “You little exhibitionist. I’m going to have to keep my eye on you. Next thing I know, my banana will be missing from my breakfast tray in the morning.”

“Minhyuk!” Kihyun slapped his chest, mortified.

Minhyuk dropped his weight onto Kihyun to stop the assault, laughing. He rearranged them so he was spooning Kihyun and held him close. They settled and returned to the movie. “I love you, Ki.”

“I love you, too, but I’ll still kill you if you ever tell anyone.”

\--

Gunhee, Yoonho and Seokwon blew out a breath, sitting back in their chairs. They just finished playing the highlighted audio of the past several days.

“He broke me. He fucking broke me,” Gun mumbled, in shock.

“This is incredible. Do you know what this means?” Yoonho exclaimed.

“That Dr. Yoo is the stuff of dreams and he isn’t fucking the captain,” Gun said.

“That’s your take away?” Seokwon smacked Gunhee.

Yoonho judged Gun hard. “I was referring to the crystal clear audio and the fact that the men who came in to sweep for bugs came up empty-handed.”

“I told you it would. I made it, didn’t I?” Gun said.

“This is already useful. We know where the captain is for the next three days.” Seokwon turned to Gun and smiled sweetly. “And Gunhee, I think the keyword is ‘yet.’ Dr. Yoo and the captain aren’t fucking ‘yet.’”

“Whatever. Captain Son is lame. You take a beautiful man like Yoo to a five-star restaurant and pamper him. Maybe offer him your foot. You don’t slap spaghetti and meatballs on the table and be boring.”


	7. Party Crasher

Three tedious days later, Hyunwoo greeted him at the door, feet bare, looking comfortable and delicious in jeans and a faded tee. His sturdy form filled the entrance. The smell of marinara and garlic wafted out into the hall.

“Kihyun, come in.” Hyunwoo smiled.

“Good evening, Captain.” He toed off his shoes and stepped into the livingroom. His jaw dropped. This place was huge.

“Please stop calling me Captain if I’m not in uniform. Make yourself comfortable.” He walked past Kihyun and returned to the kitchen. “Are you allowed to have alcohol if you have a concussion?”

“I shouldn’t.” Kihyun said distractedly. The captain’s cabin was ridiculous. He didn’t know where to look. It had an upstairs.

“Then I have ginger ale, juice, water, tea.”

“Ginger ale, please. This place is…”

“Big? I know. It was like living in an empty warehouse the first year on the ship. Nothing to fill it up with. Finally hired someone to decorate it after the first year. Considering how many guests we host, it was well worth the investment.”

“They did a good job.” It reminded him of a bachelor pad belonging to a CEO. Dark, hardwood flooring and brick walls. Kihyun didn’t know that was allowed. He wondered if he could make those modifications to his own quarters and how much it would cost or if perks like this were reserved for the captain. The furniture was sleek. Two large black leather couches sat on either side of a modern coffee table. A large-screen viewer was mounted on the wall over a fireplace. A damn fireplace. Hyunwoo was stirring sauce in the kitchen, partially obscured by a breakfast bar.

“Thank you. Made a huge difference.” Hyunwoo set a glass of ginger ale on the bar and Kihyun hopped onto the stool in front of it.

“Fireplaces are up to code?”

Hyunwoo looked up at him. “It’s not actually a fireplace. Just looks and feels like one.”

“You have an upstairs,” Kihyun accused.

Hyunwoo chuckled. “I know. Bedroom and master bath are up there.”

“Master bath,” Kihyun mouthed in awe. Part of him wanted to run up and see. “I think I chose the wrong profession,” he said.

“I don’t know. I quite like having the best doctor in all of Starfleet on my ship. Bragging rights.”

Kihyun blushed and took a sip for something to do. He scrunched his nose at the bubbles. This was weird. Why did this feel like a date? It was only dinner. Hyunwoo had a girlfriend. A fact that Kihyun well knew, but it didn’t stop him from stressing over what to wear prior to coming here. He paced in front of his closet for the better part of twenty minutes before deciding on a cashmere black sweater and soft brown slacks. The fifth outfit he tried on. Now, perched before Hyunwoo, who was dressed in relaxed jeans and a gray tee, he felt overdressed and foolish. The problem was he had too much time on his hands, nothing important to fill his days. It made a person’s mind go haywire and stress over trivial things like dinner with Hyunwoo.

“Your sunburn’s already healing up nice,” Hyunwoo commented, chopping cucumbers. He noticed Kihyun looked a great deal better than when he last saw him. He seemed more present, alert and healthy with fresh cheeks and bright eyes.

“The wonders of modern medicine,” Kihyun said.

“You’re feeling better?”

“Mostly.”

Hyunwoo grabbed a yellow pepper. “Glad to hear it.”

It was a relief to Hyunwoo. It chafed that one of his own was put in danger. Not on a mission, not on a Starfleet expedition, but just out enjoying life. Anyone on a United Star Ship lived with an awareness of the dangers of space and the civilizations out there, known and unknown. The reality was the ship could be attacked at any given moment. That was space. 

Crew members like Dr. Yoo though, they weren’t as well prepared for this part of ship life, not like the soldiers. They were rushed through a compacted, whittled down training program and encouraged to focus on their majors. If he had the proper training, would Kihyun’s kidnapping even happened at all? Traditional training forced a person to always think before acting. It broke down that trusting nature normal people walked around with. There was a blind innocence to half the ship. A part of him wanted to protect it while the other wanted to break that illusion. Kihyun’s recent brush with danger further impelled him to lift the veil, but he struggled with it. That delusion was part of their charm. They looked at their surroundings and saw good and possibilities. He looked around and saw threats and what lurked in the shadows.

Hyunwoo was proud of the minds that filled this vessel and immensely fond of his senior officers, but in different ways. Lee Minhyuk, Lee Jooheon and Yoo Kihyun had a naivety about them. It was sweet, and it was what he fought to protect through Section 31. Lee Hoseok, Chae Hyungwon and Im Changkyun, on the other hand, were battle-hardened and the four of them shared an unbreakable trust. They understood each other in ways most people couldn’t, not with the things they’ve seen and the private victories they’ve shared. 

Hyunwoo peaked at the man across from him, who looked to be hurting himself thinking of something to say. Hyunwoo took pity on him. “So, Kihyun, why did you choose the Newton? I’ve always wanted to ask. The Sherlock and Verity fought really hard for you, offered you incentives and packages we couldn’t compete with.”

Kihyun didn’t realize Hyunwoo knew about those last minute offers slid under the table. “I suppose I wanted to follow my own research interests, much like Minhyuk. Those ships don’t venture out much either. The Newton is always going somewhere farther, somewhere new, which means new things to explore and apply to medicine.”

Kihyun took an ice-cube into his mouth, locking it in his cheek. “And you? You turned down an apprenticeship on the Lynx and a Number Two position on the Starglider to watch over a bunch of nerds who graduated too early. Who does that? Nobody thought this ship was going anywhere.”

Hyunwoo grinned, picking up the cutting board and scraping the vegetables into a salad bowl. “Call it an instinct. Besides, much like you, I don’t take orders well.”

“Funny.” Kihyun crunched down on the ice.

“What have you been up to the last few days?” Hyunwoo asked. “Not work, I hope. I’d hate to ruin this evening by punishing you.”

Kihyun’s pulse raced. He felt too warm under his sweater. “Not much,” he said, voice a bit high. He pinched his arm under the bar and scolded himself to be cool. “Sleeping, reading, watching movies. When I was a kid, I thought that would be the perfect life. Turns out, it’s dreadfully dull. I learned how to knit.”

Hyunwoo pitted an avocado, unsurprised the answer. “Let me guess, you’re already a pro?”

Kihyun shrugged nonchalantly. “Not bad. Did you enjoy your leave?”

“Still on leave till 6:00 a.m., but very much, yes.”

Kihyun smiled into his glass. “I can see that.” Hickeys and scratch marks lined the captain’s neck.

Hyunwoo rubbed the back of his neck, chagrined. “Like I said, we don’t get to see each other often.”

In reality, his leave sucked up until he let Kihyun in a few moments ago. It was a successful trip. He was able to procure the last evidence needed put Hyolyn and her officers behind bars. Despite that victory, it didn’t change the fact that the past few days were taxing on him in more ways than one, nearly the entire rendezvous spent pounding into and eating Hyolyn out. She’s a beautiful, strong woman. Most would die to be in his position, but not Hyunwoo. She’s a snake filled with nothing but lies. The things he knows she’s done to other people, the things she’s taken part in, are sickening. In the end, he returned home with aching muscles and scratches over his body. He hated when she marked him like that. It made it difficult to forget the encounter. His dick hurt, overused. He felt dirty, especially standing not four feet away from Kihyun, who spent his life open and honestly. It was always like this when he returned from an X mission of this nature. But, with each passing hour on the ship, he felt more and more like himself. Kihyun’s presence was grounding and warm.

There would be a meeting later tonight to hand over intel to a Section 31 officer not connected to the Newton. Hyunwoo couldn’t be a part of the stripping of Hyolyn’s command or any charges brought against her. To the public, he’d come off as a dumb, ignorant boyfriend. Or, worse, a suspected accomplice that warranted investigation. The shit he did for the Federation. Either way, his reputation was about to take a hit. Section 31 officers placed throughout different departments of the Federation would protect him to an extent. He was a valuable asset and an upstanding captain, but he wouldn’t get by unscathed. Tonight was the calm before the storm. He was happy to spend it in Kihyun’s company. It was a welcome distraction.

Kihyun traced his finger along the rim of the glass, deep in thought. “I never really thought about it, dating a person from another ship. It must be tough. A relationship with another captain would be even harder. You’re always so busy. She’s always so busy. How do you make it work?”

“The truth? It doesn’t always work. There were fights and break-ups followed by make-ups. It’s messy. Sometimes, I-” He cut himself off, the lies rolling off his tongue too easily. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the evening lying. Not in his own home. Not to Kihyun.

Instead, he turned it around on the younger man. “Nevermind. What about you? Are you and Dr. Dongwook something? He was quite worried about you,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun half-smiled. “I know. I threatened to block him if he apologized one more time. But, no, we’re not ‘something.’ He’s a friend-slash-mentor. Honestly? I think he really misses his wife. He has a hard time being alone. Some people are like that, you know? They were a nice couple. It’s a shame, really. There’s a tiny part of me that hopes they figure it out.”

“And the other part?” Hyunwoo inquired.

Kihyun drew lines down the condensation on the glass. “The other part…wants him. I think. I don’t know. We have chemistry. I like him, respect him, care for him. On paper, all the boxes are checked, but it’s not that earth-shattering thing Hoseok’s always going on about and I don’t know if I’m capable of something long distance.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “You do realize Hoseok’s head over heels for someone new every month? Maybe not the best person to take advice from on matters of the heart.”

Kihyun grinned. “Yes, but you can’t deny that he truly, deeply loves them for the entirety of that spell. Give him some credit. It’s more like every season.”

Hyunwoo exhaled loudly. “That’s not love. It’s infatuation. There’s a big difference,” he said, taking the salad bowl to the table.

“Dinner’s ready. Come sit down. I’ll bring everything over.”

Kihyun hopped down and took the bread basket of garlic knots, promptly smashing into Hyunwoo when turned around at the table. Hyunwoo’s arms shot out, steadying him. The basket upturned onto Kihyun’s sweater before falling to the ground.

Kihyun frowned at the fluffy bread on the floor, dismayed it wouldn’t reach his belly. He looked up at Hyunwoo sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Captain,” he said.

Hyunwoo sighed, exasperated, and let go of his arms. “You really need to work on following directions, Dr. Yoo.” He examined Kihyun’s sweater, oils and minced garlic imprinted across his chest. “Is that going to be okay?”

“Yes? I’ll just need to blot it. I’m sure the dry cleaners can fix it, and if they can’t, Minhyuk will find a way.”

Hyunwoo crouched down to pick up the knots, tossing them back into the basket. “There are hand towels in the left-most drawer.”

“Thank you.” He was blotting the oil out of the sweater the best he could when the intercom startled them.

“Hyung! I can smell what you’re eating down the hall. Let me in.”

Jooheon.

Hyunwoo sighed again. He set the basket on the counter and went to open the door.

Jooheon barged in and fell onto the couch, kicking off his shoes. This must be a regular occurrence, Kihyun thought. He appeared completely at home in the captain’s cabin. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?” Jooheon flipped on the viewer with the remote, turning it to a soccer match. “What’s for dinner? And since when did you cook?”

Kihyun was still standing behind the breakfast bar, unnoticed by the bubbly engineer. “Hi, Jooheon.”

Jooheon’s head whipped around. “Ki-hyung?! I was literally just at your place. What are you doing here?” He went to him, pulling him into a bear hug.

Kihyun tensed. “Too tight. Sunburn,” he hissed.

Jooheon snatched his hands back. “Sorry. I bought you a jigsaw puzzle. Thought it might keep you occupied for a couple days.”

“Thank you.”

Jooheon looked at him oddly and lowered his voice. “So, why are you here? Are you in trouble? What did you do?”

Hyunwoo smothered a laugh.

Kihyun glowered at him over Jooheon’s shoulder. “Why does everyone always assume I’ve done something wrong? Captain promised me spaghetti and meatballs.” He offered the bread basket to Jooheon. “Hungry?” Kihyun asked brightly.

“Hyunwoo,” Hyunwoo corrected. “You two go sit down. Jooheon, don’t eat that.”

Jooheon’s eyes widened, the roll halfway to his mouth. He dropped it back in the basket. “Kihyun,” he said, betrayed. “I bought you a puzzle.”

Kihyun looked to the side guiltily before he squashed it down and pursed his lips. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he defended.

“Yet,” Jooheon muttered.

Jooheon dominated the conversation during dinner while the soccer match played in the background. Hyunwoo was thankful for it. It worried him that he and Kihyun would run out of things to talk about.

“This is delicious,” Kihyun complimented.

“Thank you,” Hyunwoo said.

Jooheon’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two. “I’m over here all the time and you never cook for me. Kihyun comes over one time and he gets spaghetti and meatballs,” he grumbled.

“Sorry, Jooheon. I’ll make you something next week. Promise,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun offered to help with dishes, but Hyunwoo adamantly refused. He stood around awkwardly, not sure what to do as Hyunwoo and Jooheon cleaned up the mess. His headache returned towards the end of dinner, the medicine worn off. He wondered if it was okay to excuse himself. He didn’t want to be rude though. It would be impolite to make an exit while they were cleaning. He’d stick around a while longer, engage in conversation over some coffee, then feign weariness and say good night.

Hyunwoo glanced up, sensing his discomfort. “Kihyun, are you okay? You look a little pale for someone so pink.”

“I’m fine, just a little off,” he said. It was bright in here. He wanted to close his eyes against the harsh brightness.

Hyunwoo toweled his hands dry as he approached him. He gently pried the empty glass from his fingers. “Why don’t you go back to your quarters and lie down?”

Kihyun hesitated.

“Go on,” Hyunwoo assured. “I have a meeting in an hour, anyway.”

“I thought you were on leave?”

“No rest for the wicked,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun swallowed. Why did he have to say shit like that? “Right. Okay. Thank you for dinner. It was better than expected.” Kihyun winced. That sounded rude.

Hyunwoo nodded, amused.

He shifted his weight to the other foot, smoothed a hand at his pocket. “Maybe I can return the favor next time?” Kihyun said. Was that weird? Too much? He immediately regretted the words.

Hyunwoo’s lips quirked. “Okay. You’re on.”

Kihyun’s eyes lit up, and he smiled mischievously. “It’s not a competition, Captain.”

“Hyunwoo,” Hyunwoo corrected for the umteenth as Kihyun slipped his shoes on.

The door slid shut behind Kihyun and he turned around to Jooheon, who was grinning like a maniac from the kitchen. Ah, fuck.

“Captain!” Jooheon shouted, sounding scandalized, coming around the counter and into the living room. “The honorable Dr. Yoo alone in your cabin? I didn’t realize he made house calls.”

“Jooheon, don’t start. I’m not in the mood.” Hyunwoo went to the wet bar and poured himself a finger of whiskey. He’d been dying for a drink all evening, but it didn’t seem fair to do so in front of Kihyun.

Jooheon followed, unaffected. He stopped being cowed and intimidated by Hyunwoo’s authoritative tone the moment he learned how big of a teddy bear the captain really was. Full of fluff, their captain. “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”

“No,” Hyunwoo said definitively.

“Did you want there to be something to interrupt?” Jooheon waggled his eyebrows.

“No.”

“Are you sure? Because, all of a sudden, I can recall the countless times Kihyun’s almost killed you the past two years. Let’s see.” Jooheon tapped his chin in consideration. “Should we start at the beginning or work our way backwards?”

Jooheon snapped his fingers. “Remember the basketball game a couple weeks ago? When you got hit with the ball, nose gushing on the court, because you were too busy evaluating his downward facing dog through the glass.”

“What? We still won the game,” Hyunwoo defended.

Jooheon helped himself to his own glass of whiskey, just getting started. “Oh. Popsicle Tuesday. You almost died choking on your chicken-parm. Ki-hyung really loves those cherry popsicles, doesn’t he? How about when-”

“Alright. Enough.” Hyunwoo said. “Yes, I find Dr. Yoo attractive. I didn’t realize that was breaking news to you guys.”

“Oh, it’s not,” Jooheon wholeheartedly assured.

“I made him dinner because he had a rough week and maybe I’d like to try and be friends, the way all of you are with him.” Hyunwoo said, before turning petulant. “And I was hardly staring at him that day. I’m not a creep.” He gingerly rubbed his nose.

“Fair enough. Dongsaeng approved. I’d love it if my hyungs were friends. You’re going about it in an awfully weird way though. Dinner for two in your quarters? Sounds and looks an awful lot like a date. It’s a good thing I came along when I did. Who knows what could have transpired,” he said. 

Jooheon turned serious and uncomfortable. “Just, if you ever want something more, don’t take advantage of him. Break it off with your girlfriend and do it properly. I’m not playing favorites here. I would tell Ki-hyung the same thing.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes crinkled, and he put the younger in a headlock, messing up his hair and pinching his cheeks. “Such a good dongsaeng.”

“Hyung!” Jooheon battled out of the lock, fixing his hair. He glared at Hyunwoo. “And this better not be about some Bemonian fetish.”

The smile dropped. “Jooheon, I’m well aware Yoo Kihyun is much more than the make up his genes. You don’t need to tell me,” Hyunwoo chastised. “I didn’t bring him on as a senior officer for his pretty face. I hired you, didn’t I?”

“Ouch. And, good.” Jooheon threw back his whiskey with a grimace and set his tumbler on the bar. “So, next week, same time, same place. I want fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. I’ll invite everyone.”

“I don’t know how to make that,” Hyunwoo said.

Jooheon’s eyes sparked devilishly as he walked backwards to the couch, diving over the back. “Ki-hyung does.” He looked over the back of the couch. “I think the words you’re looking for are, ‘Thank you.’”

“You do one good deed…,” Hyunwoo muttered, pouring a double.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first tendrils of Showki. I sat on this chapter for days, not happy with it (still not btw). I think it's because not much happens here, but I'm not quite ready for advanced showki just yet. I love a slow burn.
> 
> Sidebar-I intended to have Hyolyn stick around for a while and be nasty, but I decided she was too big a barrier between Hyunwoo and Kihyun. She wasn't a Big Bad anyways. There's no way Kihyun would ever, ever touch him if Hyunwoo was involved with someone else and I very much want there to be touching.
> 
> The next chapter involves a bit of a time skip (4 months) and, unfortunately, does not provide a proper serving of showki. Instead, you'll see a Kihyun back on his way to normality (and I make him suffer a bit).
> 
> If you're still reading this part of the notes, was it easy to understand? I split the pov between the two of them. I was worried it may come off as confusing or choppy. I'd like your insight on this. If it was weird, I'll only choose one character's pov for each scene in the future.


	8. The Count

Cha Seungwon looked down at the intricate swirls of the cappuccino before him. He mourned the locale of this meeting for he would never use it again. Mourned it even more after the first sip. His guest was unusually late. Seated on a patio of a Parisian style coffeehouse, he stretched his long legs out before him and waited. A steady drizzle pinged against the canvas awning in the gray mid-morning light. With the exception of two lovers in the corner basking in the warmth of the heat lamp and each other, the terrace was empty.

Today marked the end of a business arrangement that spanned two years. It had been a profitable partnership and profit is what drove him. Regardless, he was relieved of its demise. His shoulders already lightening at the thought of distancing himself from the one who employed them. Besides, his team was ready for bigger and better things. He could only hope the man would let them leave without strings and conditions. It was unlikely. He was far more dangerous than he initially realized. All the more reason to sever their ties.

More importantly, he no longer wished to use his child anymore. At first, he toyed with the idea of bringing his son to his side. However, as he learned the goings on of the ship, he learned about his son as well. It was better to leave him there. While it stung, he knew it was where he belonged. That man on the U.S.S. Newtwon wasn’t the same boy he lost at age twelve. He wasn’t the same boy he groomed to follow in his footsteps.

He lost his son on a robbery gone south. After fleeing with the bank numbers of some disgustingly rich CEO, his ship was critically hit. He placed an unconscious, bleeding Seungkwon into an escape pod and sent him off. He followed him seconds later in his own pod, but something went awry. Upon landing, Seungkwon’s pod was nowhere to be found. He could only assume the security detail that pursued his ship managed to follow and capture the pod.

He spent years searching for his son. Combed through countless hospitals and orphanages. Instead of finding him, he found his current team. Bright, troubled young orphans that had nowhere to go, nowhere to grow, nowhere to thrive. Interestingly enough, he approached the orphan Yoo Kihyun eleven years ago, a precocious boy on the cusp of an alluring, unique beauty. He would have made an intriguing addition. He could have been trained to bring men and women to their knees. When the child finally deigned to spare him a moment after his spiel of adventure and riches, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from his tablet, he informed him with a rural lilt he hadn’t yet lost that he was leaving to study at a science school. Seungwon wished young Kihyun luck and left it alone.

He found Cha Seungkwon, now Chae Hyungwon, three years ago as a top student enrolled in Starfleet Academy. A serendipitous and tragic ‘reunion.’ His memory was, apparently, gone. He remembered that day well. He stood in front of an approaching Hyungwon on the campus green, waiting for a flash of recognition. Hyungwon stalked towards him, long legs swallowing up the distance between them while scanning every person in his line of sight, a skill he had instilled in him from an early age. The young pilot passed him with no acknowledgement. Naturally, he was heartbroken, but also thrilled and definitely curious. He hacked Hyungwon’s file from the Academy only to find it frustratingly blank and redacted.

He had the means to get around that though. His most valuable treasure, a Deltian stone, granted access to another’s mind. All he needed was Hyungwon’s blood, which was easily acquired after Hyungwon’s daily and brutal sparring match among his friends: Son Hyunwoo, Lee Hoseok and Im Changkyun. He tried the stone on others several times in the past with no luck. With Hyungwon though, he achieved instant success. Maybe it was because they shared similar DNA or that he had history with Hyungwon. There was no way to know, the stone was never studied or researched. Deltian stones were a myth, a largely forgotten myth.

While he couldn’t rewind and witness what happened to his son all those years, he could enter a mental state similar to sleep and see Hyungwon’s point of view in real time. Over time, he pieced together through snippets and conversations that Hyungwon never made it to a hospital or orphanage, but straight into a secret military program. A child with no memory and no one to speak on his behalf. A perfect candidate for black ops program like that. As a father, he ought to be outraged. However, considering the skills he taught Hyungwon at an even earlier age, that would be like the pot calling the kettle black.

Now, he would leave his son alone, leave him to better things. Even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. However wrong using the stone was, he didn’t think he could stop at this point. Yes, he used it to provide classified intel to a dangerous man, but it also provided a picture of his son’s life. Sometimes he’d glean information for his tardy guest, other times he’d see and hear conversations among his friends, his patchwork family. Seungkwon, or Hyungwon, as it were, was in good hands.

He wouldn’t use it as often though. Despite being oblivious, Hyungwon somehow found a way to distort and, on occasion, completely block the connection. Some unconscious part of Hyungwon’s mind must have registered something was off. Clear connections were becoming fewer and fewer. The last clear connection he managed was a dirty, smock-covered Kihyun talking straight to him, to Hyungwon, about his plans for the day, about meeting a colleague at a hotel and Hyungwon teasing him about it.

It was a rather fortuitous connection for everyone except Yoo Kihyun. Gunhee was saved, there was one less Jefferson in the universe, and their exposure to the young doctor provided the perfect opportunity and excuse to walk away from this arrangement. Seungwon foolishly embroiled his team in this mess and now he could get them out. As far as he was concerned, Kihyun would forever be in his good graces. 

A chair scraped across the concrete behind him as his long-awaited guest took a seat. Their backs faced each other. Seungwon straightened and crossed his legs. He always found it best to let the other begin in order to gauge the man’s mood.

“I have to say, I’ve been expecting your summons for some time now,” the man spoke.

“Then you know why I’m here,” Seungwon replied.

“You wish to terminate our contract. I am amenable to this. Considering your team’s contact with the doctor, it is the wisest course of action. Unfortunate, but for the best.”

“Yes,” Seungwon agreed.

“I will require restitution. We did agree upon four years. I believe I’m being generous here.”

“I suspected as much. What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t suppose you’d share how you’ve managed to supply the information you’ve gained over the past two years?”

“My tricks are all I have.”

“Your tricks and my money,” the man said dryly. “I know you have a source on that ship. If you tell me who it is, we’ll call it even. You can wash your hands free of me.”

Seungwon slowly sipped his cappuccino, savoring the richness. “No.” 

“Pity. Then, I’ll need one last favor.”

“And that is?” Seungwon prompted, adopting a bored tone. Truth be told, the man scared him. But, if there was one thing he learned over a lifetime of crime, it was that appearances are everything.

Seungwon couldn’t see him, but instinctively knew the man was smiling. It made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. This would be a favor he would see through on his own. He wouldn’t involve his boys in the dark shadow this man cast any longer.

“There is a little birdy that needs to be put out of her misery. I assume you know who.”

“Consider it done, as well as our partnership.” Seungwon rose, collecting his umbrella and hat.

“It should go without saying, but if you’re ever caught for your involvement in spying on the Newton, you and your boys will find yourselves in the same predicament as our little birdie: snuffed out before you can chirp.” 

“-Your-,” he emphasized, “birdie was sloppy. My team is anything but. Nevertheless, I’ll clean up your mess for you.”

The man smiled sardonically. “It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Cha.”

“Captain.” Seungwon tipped his hat and left, opening the umbrella and disappearing into the morning crowd of the streets.


	9. Familiar Faces

“Captain’s Log, stardate 55318.6. The ship is docking at Federation Starbase 349 off the planet Teknalb, where the dilithium trade summit is wrapping up its week-long proceedings. We will be hosting and escorting the King and Queen Ischor and their party back home for the next five days. It is my hope the crew will take advantage of the amenities provided by Teknalb over the next twenty-hour hours. After Ischor, it will be some time before we see a metropolitan city again.”

—

“Do you think the captain gets some kind of sick pleasure in submitting us to this?” Kihyun asked.

“I know he does,” Hyungwon answered.

“I mean, can’t I pay a fine and be done with it?” Kihyun grumbled.

“Don’t jinx it. I’d be broke if there was a fine for demerits.” Hyungwon moved the cushion under his knees further down the row of cabbages.

“Why _are_ you late all the time?” Kihyun questioned, genuinely curious.

“A man needs sleep,” Hyungwon said.

Kihyun examined Hyungwon from across the row. Dark circles ringed his eyes, albeit it was still early in the morning. His pallor was slightly wan as well. Hmm. “Do you have trouble sleeping? Is it falling asleep or staying asleep that’s the problem? You know, Hyungwon, sleep is a critical function of optimal health. People assume it only matters for children and adolescents, but that’s not true-”

“And there he goes,” Hyungwon muttered under his breath. “It’s too early for this shit.”

“-Adequate sleep for adults is obtained through seven to eight hours of continuous sleep per daily cycle. Fatigue goes way beyond just feeling tired. There are headaches, dizziness, irritability, moodiness, sore and achy muscles, muscle weakness, slow reflexes and responses and impaired decision-making. Considering you pilot this ship, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Come by sickbay and we can monitor you overnight or if that’s not convenient I can insert a brain scan chip and monitor you from your quarters. Completely painless.”

“Don’t doctor me, Yoo. I’m fine. The only headache I have at the moment is you.”

Kihyun nodded sagely. “Moodiness and irritability: check.”

“My infractions pale in comparison to yours. You’re always down here for the stupidest reasons. Why do you find it so hard to follow orders? It’s easy. You say, ‘Yes, Captain,’ then proceed to do what came before ‘Yes, Captain.’”

Kihyun dropped his spade and rolled his shoulders. “I have no problem following orders if they’re not dumb. So, I snuck into labs when I wasn’t cleared for duty. What’s the big deal? It was one day before I was supposed to go back. I needed to get organized. I get punished for trying to do my job?”

“Pretty sure the captain warned you not to try it and I think it had more to do with the fact you stole Cadet Delphine’s access card to get in.”

Kihyun scowled. “Borrowed. That was four months ago. Isn’t this too extreme? The punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I should file a complaint.”

Hyungwon looked at him doubtfully. “It’s because he’s tired of your shit. File a complaint? I sincerely hope that’s a joke. How do you think that little scenario would pan out? The captain’s the one you’d bring the complaint to.”

“Unless-,”Hyungwon cocked a brow, a smirk growing, “-you were hoping to get a more personal punishment? Direct from the source?” he teased.

Kihyun’s cheeks burned. “You shut your stupid lips.”

Hyungwon grinned evilly. “Oh, Captain. I know I’ve been a bad boy-”

Kihyun pointed his finger. “Stop!” he warned.

“-but, these hands are meant for saving, not shoveling. Isn’t there something else we could work out?” Hyungwon fluttered his lashes.

“First of all, I do not sound like that.” Kihyun argued.

Hyungwon’s eyes glinted, and he pitched his voice even higher. “Oh, Captain, you look aggravated. Why don’t you take it out on me? It’s what I deserve.” He bit his lip as he arched his back and stuck his butt out.

Kihyun threw his spade down, clapping the dirt off his hands. “That’s it,” he declared, jumping to his feet. He grabbed the water hose and drenched the pilot head to toe with the frigid water. 

Hyungwon’s mouth opened in momentary shock, but it grew into a playful smile as Kihyun continued thoroughly soaking him with no intent on stopping anytime soon. He side-eyed the hose at this own feet.

The greenhouse doors slid open. “-and this is our leafy greens house. It contains thirty-eight different families of greens, from kale and microgreens to broccoli and bok choy. I assume your council has already informed the kitchen staff of any dietary restrictions. Is there anything in particular you’d like to try during...?” Hyunwoo faltered off and followed his guests’ eyes to the scene before them.

A guilty Kihyun hid the water hose behind him, eyes comically wide. A dripping Hyungwon on his hands and knees in a puddle of mud, which was steadily making its way to the main walkway.

Hyunwoo internally nodded. ‘Yep, that seems about right,’ he thought. It turns out it was too much to ask for an embarrassment-free week as they escorted the King and Queen of Ischor home. Just another day aboard the U.S.S. Newton. They made it one whole hour without incident. His jaw clenched.

Hyunwoo cleared his throat and tilted his head helplessly. “This is our Chief Helms Officer, Lieutenant Chae Hyungwon, and our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Yoo Kihyun.”

Hyugnwon stood and bowed as Kihyun dropped the hose behind him and followed suit.

The royal couple exchanged hesitant, but polite greetings and Hyunwoo urged them forward, past the senior officers. He smoothly about-turned behind the royal couple and brought his finger to his throat, slicing it, before pointing at them both. The trio exited out the back door.

“Shit,” Kihyun whispered. He returned to work, miserable.

“Yup,” Hyungwon agreed, popping the p. “You are going to be in so much trouble.”

“He pointed at both of us,” Kihyun countered.

“The weapon was clearly in your hands. I’m the victim here.” Hyungwon smirked. “What? You want to explain what it was that caused your sudden outburst? ‘You see, Captain, Hyungwon was going on about how badly I want you to take me over your knee.’”

Kihyun grumbled pathetically.

Hyungwon shrugged. “On the bright side, we’re going to Heaven tonight. It’s the only thing getting me through the morning. And you.”

Kihyun looked up, surprised.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “Did you forget? I’m the DJ tonight. I’ve only been talking about it for the past three weeks.” Hyungwon waited for a reaction from the doctor. Nothing. “Half the ship’s coming. Is this jogging your memory yet?”

Kihyun stared blankly.

“Seriously, do you live under a rock?”

Kihyun scooted down the row, catching up with Hyungwon. “I’ve been swamped with work.”

“You are such a nerd. Well, I don’t start until 23:00, but most people are going down earlier. It’s been a while since we’ve docked at an actual modern, urban city. Come down with us, we’re going to eat and shop before heading over later.”

Kihyun concentrated on the bed before him. “I’m sorry, Hyungwon. There’s a mountain of reports to review and yearly physicals are starting next week. I need to finish them before Monday or I’ll be royally screwed.”

Disappointment lined Hyungwon’s face. “Kihyun, live a little.”

“Next time. I promise I’ll come next time.” Kihyun said.

“Are you aware you haven’t left the ship in four months?” Hyungwon asked, treading carefully.

The doctor’s shoulders tensed. “The department has a lot going on with winter conferences around the corner. We’re all scrambling to meet deadlines.”

“Your entire department’s coming tonight. You used to leave the ship at every opportunity, on leave or not. Are you scared?”

His heart pounded, the comment hitting too close to home. “Scared of what? And I have left the ship, thank you very much.”

“For work, yes, but not for yourself, not for fun.” Hyungwon speared his spade in the cabbage bed and focused on the smaller man. “You haven’t worn makeup since you’ve been back either.”

“I had a sunburn. I got used to not wearing anything. It’s refreshing.”

“Bullshit. You’re a doctor with a dermal regenerator. You had a sunburn for a few days at most. Not that you need makeup, you look fine without it. All I’m saying is, you used to love doing your eyes and coloring your lips, dying and styling your hair.”

Kihyun wished he would drop it. Dr. Im already pointed all this out to him. He didn’t realize other people had been taking note of it. He wasn’t depressed or anything. He was home. He was happy. He spent time with and laughed with his friends, including Captain Son. Due to Jooheon’s tenacity, weekly dinners had become a standing event for the seven. Usually, Hyunwoo hosted them in the captain’s cabin, having the best kitchen and the most space, but sometimes Kihyun or someone else would host them.

But, Hyungwon wasn’t entirely wrong. When he thought about leaving the ship, anxiety gripped him. He remembered how quickly they overtook him, how stupid he acted. When he got ready in the morning, he instinctively picked up a stain, but always set it back down. ‘Whore’ and ‘slut’ echoed in his ears. He knew it was irrational. Changkyun told him it was irrational. Half the men on the ship used makeup to varying degrees. Hell, some men wore skirted uniforms. No one batted an eye. Closemindedness and prejudice didn’t exist in Starfleet, but that wasn’t always the case out there.

He yearned to swipe a stain on his lips. He felt unfinished without it, like forgetting to brush his hair. Yet, when he looked at the products on his vanity, Jefferson’s words came to him, unbidden. If he put it on, would someone think he was ‘asking for it?’ In the past, he wore it because he liked it, but he also liked for people to think he was attractive. He wanted other people to find him desirable. Did that make him a little bit of a slut? Changkyun assured him it didn’t; that there was no such thing as ‘asking for it.’ Logically, he knew Changkyun was right, but that one corner of his brain refused to let it go.

Hyungwon interrupted his inner ramblings. “Would you just come out tonight?” he coaxed. “You won’t be alone. All of us are going. The guys are worried about you, especially Minhyuk.”

That startled him. “Minhyuk never said anything to me,” Kihyun said, face troubled. Wouldn’t he have noticed if Min was worried about him? Had Minhyuk been talking about him with the others?

“He wants you to do what makes you comfortable, but it doesn’t stop him from worrying. Doesn’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for. Me? I don’t mind pushing. You need one. Don’t you miss going out? Wouldn’t it be fun to let loose on the dance floor with Minhyuk, Jooheon and the Engineering Department? Those guys are fucking crazy. Do you really want to miss that? To do what? Reports? Lie on your couch?”

Kihyun bit his lip. It would be fun. They used to have the best time. When he thought about it, Min had been staying behind on the ship a lot too. Was that for his benefit? He felt guilty, ashamed that he’d inadvertently tethered his friend to the ship.

“I’ll see how far I get on my reports. I’m not promising anything,” Kihyun said.

Hyungwon nodded. “I’ll take it.”

“Hey, Yoo.”

“Hmm?” Kihyun looked up questioningly and was greeted with a jet of freezing water to the face. He sputtered and glared at the taller man behind dripping fringe.

“There was a little dirt on your face.” Hyungwon grinned. 

\--

Kihyun returned home with tired eyes after finishing reports. Hoseok, Minhyuk and Jooheon were in his quarters.

“Yeah. Sure. Come in,” he said sarcastically as he tossed his shoes in the closet.

“I’ve no clue why these two are here. They followed me like lost, little ducklings,” Minhyuk said from his fridge. He pulled out orange juice and took the vodka from the freezer. “Pre-game?”

“Go for it. I’ll join you after I shower.”

Jooheon dimpled. “You’re coming then?”

Kihyun eyed the three. It didn’t escape Kihyun’s attention that all three of their faces had hints of makeup. 

“Yes. I’m coming.” Kihyun grinned. “Min, pace yourself. Remember, it was a night just like tonight you met your body artist.”

“Artist?” Hoseok asked.

“My carnal soulmate,” Minhyuk supplied dreamily. He narrowed his eyes and pointed to Kihyun. “You! Go shower. Let’s get this party started.”

When Kihyun emerged from the bathroom in his robe, Minhyuk had dumped half his closet over his bed. Hoseok and Jooheon were watching a soccer match from the couch.

Minhyuk offhandedly motioned to the screwdriver on his nightstand. “So, I’m thinking these sinful skinnies and this…this red…I guess this is a top. What is this, Kihyun?”

Kihyun took a drink and coughed violently. “You forget the juice, Min?” he croaked, setting the glass down.

“Yes, it’s a top. Here, gimme.” Kihyun shimmied out of the top half of his robe, letting it fall over the tied belt. He pulled the top over his head and slipped his arms through the holes. It was a burgundy-red shirt with horizontal slashes down the front and back. A fair amount of skin peaked out like sunshine through blinds. He bought it months ago, specifically for a night like tonight.

“Okay. Yes. Definitely. That’s the one.” Minhyuk approved. “You want underwear?” he asked, rifling through his drawer.

Jooheon and Hoseok joined them, sitting on the bed.

“Yes, I want underwear,” he said, exasperated.

“Just checking. You do like free balling it.”

Hoseok coughed on his drink. “Okay. TMI.”

“Hyung!” Jooheon exclaimed, scandalized. Kihyun wasn’t certain if it was directed at Minhyuk or himself.

“What?” Minhyuk defended. “Kihyun’s one of the few men who can get away with it in those pants.” He winked.

Jooheon’s mouth fell open and he looked at Minhyuk. “Are you implying that he-,” Jooheon couldn’t finish. He turned his attention to Kihyun. “You gonna take that from him, hyung?”

Kihyun took a big gulp of orange-flavored vodka in response. It’s not like he could refute it. He was hardly minuscule, but he couldn’t compete the likes of Minhyuk, Dongwook or the anything he had seen in the locker rooms growing up. Maybe he was slightly below average, but it never bothered him or his past lovers, for that matter. It was more that everyone around him seemed to be especially blessed in that department.

Minhyuk stuck his foot in his mouth further. “Hey, it doesn’t matter. Kihyunnie may not be packing, but he’s got the prettiest dick I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot.”

“Hyung!” Jooheon’s face twisted in horror.

Yep, that ‘hyung’ was definitely directed at Minhyuk.

“Minhyuk! Why?” Hoseok accused.

‘Oh, god. Please stop,’ Kihyun thought, tipping the rest of the drink down his throat.

“It’s true,” Minhhyuk continued brightly, oblivious to the temperature of the room. “The first time I saw our Kihyun au naturale, I wanted to tie a bow around it. In fact, -”

Kihyun rushed forward. “Okay. That’s enough of that,” he said, taking charge and tapping a finger against Min’s lips. He picked out underwear and grabbed the pants, going back to the bathroom to pull them on. He applied a dollop of texturizing gel to his wet hair and tousled it messily.

Minhyuk knocked and let himself in, closing the door behind him. “You look nice.” He waved a hand at the makeup on the vanity, watching Kihyun anxiously. “Can I...?”

Kihyun licked his lips and nodded. He closed the toilet lid and sat down, his heart inexplicably racing.

Minhyuk perused the products, graceful fingers gliding over the different shades. He looked at Kihyun and back at the colors several times before approaching him. “Close your eyes.”

He slid them shut, waiting with bated breath. It was easier this way, letting Minhyuk do it. It somehow made it all okay. He heard the taps of the brush against the pallet and felt the soft bristles swipe across his lids as Minhyuk held the side of his face.

It was like coming home and he smiled. He should have known Minhyuk would be the one to open the door and pull him inside. He blindly reached out and pulled Minhyuk to him, overwhelmed and grateful.

The blond curled over him and embraced him. “Hey, no waterworks. You’ll ruin it.”

“I’m not,” Kihyun assured with a steady voice.

Minhyuk pulled back, assessing him. “No, you’re not.” He smiled. “Let’s finish up and go eat, okay? I’m starving. You’ll need to roll me out of the restaurant tonight, piggyback me to the club.”

“Anything.” Kihyun closed his eyes again and let Min continue applying and blending the shadow. It felt nice being pampered by his friend. Minhyuk swiped a red stain across the seam of his mouth with the wand and worked it outwards with his finger.

“There,” Minhyuk stated. Min bent over the counter, close to the mirror, putting it on his own lips and slipped it in his back pocket.

Kihyun stood behind him and looked in the mirror. The dark copper liner smudged out from his lids. His heart lurched seeing the cherry lips, not from unwanted echoes, but because he looked like himself for the first time in months. It felt exhilarating.

Emboldened, he met his friend’s eyes through the mirror. “Shall we go?”

—

The six of them met at an American themed diner down the street from Heaven. Hyunwoo, unfortunately, was otherwise engaged, hosting the royals in his cabin tonight. His absence disappointed Kihyun. It was embarrassing, but he felt hot tonight. He wanted Hyunwoo to see him.

He sighed morosely, shoving a fry in his mouth. Thoughts like that were immature. It brought to mind the way he used to primp before tutoring other boys at boarding school, when he first became enamored with being desired, hungry for their compliments and yearning eyes.

He pouted. He wasn’t a damn teenager anymore. He was twenty-four years old. A man. He shouldn’t be obsessing over this. Over him.

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t here tonight. Considering what transpired in the greenhouse this morning, keeping a wide berth may be for the best. He knew it was only a matter of time before Hyunwoo summoned him to the captain’s ready room for a lecture on the proper decorum befit for a senior officer.

He glared at Hyungwon across the table. “I better not get more community service because of you.”

“Lighten up, Yoo,” Hyungwon said. “I didn’t force you to pick up that water hose. In fact, you ought to thank me. This will give you the perfect opportunity to discuss your grievances with his manner of discipline.”

Kihyun kicked his shin under the table and looked around furtively. Everyone else was blessedly engaged in conversation.

“We’ll likely be called in together. Need me to be your wingman? I’ll broach the subject for you,” Hyungwon said innocently. “I’ll say, ‘Captain, Dr. Yoo keeps making the same mistakes and requires a firmer hand when it comes to-’”

Kihyun’s heart stopped at the thought. “You wouldn’t dare. Hyungwon!” he hissed.

Hyungwon laughed. “I’m teasing, Ki. Relax. Your not so secret fixation is safe with me.” He pushed his drink across the table to Kihyun. “So tense. Drink up.”

Minhyuk side eyed him and slyly pushed his own cocktail towards him.

Kihyun did. By the time they split up, he was thoroughly tipsy as he and Minhyuk shopped the mall, arms linked. His credit card was one transaction away from catching fire. It was fine. After four months of no spending, it wouldn’t hurt. Much. 

The moons and stars in the sky were nearly as mesmerizing as the neon lights lining the streets as they walked down to the club. “I’ve missed this.” Kihyun said, breathing in the crisp, fresh air.

“Me, too,” Minhyuk said. “It’s not the same without you.”

“Sorry for dragging you down, Min.”

“Nonsense. I love being with you. Even if it’s bumming around the ship.” He slowed his steps and his voice turned serious. “Hey, Ki. If you want to leave early or you’re not feeling the club, we’ll leave.”

“No.” Kihyun shook his head firmly. “I want to go. I want to dance and get sweaty and lose myself. And, I don’t want you to hover over me. I want you to go charm the knickers off whatever poor, unsuspecting soul you set your sights on.” Kihyun bumped his shoulder against Minhyuk’s. “Are we clear?”

“Oh, thank god.” Min kissed his cheek, gripped his hand and sped up.

Kihyun stumbled after him. “Minhyuk! My legs aren’t as long as yours!”

—

One hour later, Kihyun was a sweaty mess among the crush of the dance floor and fellow crew mates. It wasn’t dirty grinding and undulating bodies. It was energetic, silly frivolity as they jumped and foolishly danced with each other. He spotted Jooheon and Minhyuk back at their VIP table and slowly worked his way out of the crowd. He needed a drink and some air.

“Having fun out there, Billy Elliot?” Minhyuk smiled.

Kihyun couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if he tried. “Yes,” he said cheerily and out of breath, sliding in the booth.

“I’m impressed. Not many can keep up with my department,” Jooheon said, handing Kihyun a neon purple shot.

“Keep up? That was a warm-up,” he boasted. 

The three clinked their glasses and threw them back.

“Why aren’t you guys out there with me?”

“Better vantage point,” Minhyuk explained, winking at twins a few tables over.

“Working up the courage to go up to that table,” Jooheon said and signaled three more to the bartender.

“Oh, why?” Kihyun looked around curiously at the other tables and opened a water bottle.

“That’s the Horsemen over there,” Jooheon answered.

Kihyun sputtered on water for the second time that day.

Minhyuk made a face. “The who?” 

“Only the best soccer team this side of the galaxy,” Jooheon explained as though talking to a child.

Kihyun dabbed his mouth with the back of his hand. He got up on his knees and turned around in the booth. Two VIP sections over was a boisterous table of athletes. And, his first boyfriend. 

Kihyun stared as if in a trance, a small smile playing across his face. He looked the same, but broader, taller. He’d become a man over the past six years.

A teammate nudged his ex and nodded in Kihyun’s direction. 

Kihyun dropped back down in the seat and turned to Minhyuk wildly. “Shit. Do I look like a complete train wreck? I do, don’t I?” Kihyun attempted to fluff up his sweat-drenched hair.

“What? You look fine-”

“Holy shit. He’s coming over here,” Jooheon said, stunned. He looked at Kihyun like he’d never seen him before. “Why is he coming over here, hyung?”

“Kihyun?” a pleasant voice asked.

He whipped around to face the front of the booth so fast he knocked over what was left of Hoseok’s rum and coke. 

Minhyuk raked his eyes up and down the body before them. “Oh, my word.” He lifted his foot to Kihyun’s behind and slowly pushed him out the booth, forcing Kihyun to stumble and awkwardly stand before him.

He laughed nervously. “Hi, Minho.”

Strong arms enveloped him in a tight hug.

Damn, he smelled good. Kihyun warmly returned the hug.

Minho pulled back, gripping his shoulders. “I knew it was you.” His kind eyes beamed down at him. “You look great.”

“You, too. You’re, ah, bigger.”

Minho chuckled. “You’re not.”

Jooheon cleared his throat.

“Sorry! This is Lee Jooheon and Dr. Lee Minhyuk from the U.S.S. Newton. Guys, this Choi Minho, we went to boarding school together.”

Minhyuk looked to Kihyun, betrayed. “Wait. This is your Minho?”

The athlete grinned. “Your Minho?”

Kihyun glared daggers at Minhyuk.

“How could you not tell me you went to school with the Choi Minho?” Jooheon accused. “I’m a huge fan, by the way. Those slide tackles tonight were insane.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Would you like to sit down?” Kihyun asked.

Minhyuk scrambled out of the booth and grabbed Jooheon’s hand. “Hyungwon motioned for us to get our asses on the dance floor. We’ll leave you to it.”

Jooheon squinted his eyes mistrustingly. “He did?”

“He sure did.” Minhyuk assured.

“But, I wanted to-” Jooheon started.

Minhyuk pinched Jooheon’s side punishingly. “I’m sure Kihyun can get you an autograph. Isn’t that right, Ki?”

“Where are you going?!” Kihyun hissed, freaking out.

Minho slid into the booth. “Absolutely. I’ll get the team to sign a ball.”

“Really?! Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m your biggest fan,” Jooheon shouted as Minhyuk pulled him to the dance floor.

“Learn to take a hint, Joo,” Minhyuk admonished. 

“Your friends seem nice,” Minho said.

“They are.” Kihyun nodded, sitting down in Jooheon’s spot across from him.

Kihyun cataloged the similarities and differences since he last saw him, before he left school for soccer. “I can’t believe I’ve run into you. You’ve made it to the big leagues.”

Minho ducked his head, bashful. “Yes. Still strange to say it. My parents can finally admit I made the right decision leaving school. And, you’ve become a doctor, I presume?”

“Mm-hmm. Chief Medical Officer on the Newton.”

“Ever the over-achiever,” he teased. He ran his eyes over his face. “Starfleet must agree with you. You look absolutely stunning. Kinda miss that baby fat in your cheeks though.”

Kihyun blushed. “I kind of miss when we were on the same eye level.”

A waitress interrupted them with the shots Jooheon ordered, sliding them on the table.

“It wasn’t my intention to scare your friends away,” Minho confessed.

“You didn’t. Min deliberately marooned us. He has a penchant for matchmaking. It’s what he does. He means well, but...”

“Then you’ll have to thank him for me. So, does that mean your single?”

Oh, Christ. Where was this going? An anxious, restless feeling warmed his belly. His eyes darted about and he found Changkyun and Hoseok at the far end of the bar. Hoseok gave him an encouraging thumbs up. Kihyun dipped his head, embarrassed.

“Kihyun?” Minho asked.

Kihyun met his eyes. “Yes, single. You?”

He nodded. “No time for relationships. It’s either training season or game season. There is no in between.”

Minho shook his head in disbelief. “Man, I’ve thought about you a lot over the years. Why is it we didn’t keep in touch?”

“Life,” Kihyun stated simply. “Chasing dreams is a full-time job.”

“You’re happy on the Newton? Is it hard living on a ship?”

“No, it’s great. Definitely not for everyone. We lost some of the crew after the first year. Transferred back to earth or a Starfleet base somewhere. I love it though,” he said wistfully. “There’s nothing quite like it.”

“So, you had a game tonight?” Kihyun asked.

“Yes. We won. Hence the party back there,” he pointed to the rowdy team behind him.

Kihyun pushed a shot towards Minho and picked one up for himself. “Then congratulations are in order. To victories.”

“And old friends,” Minho cheered, clinking his glass to Kihyun’s and shooting it back.

A frenetic energy tingled between them as they stared at each other, so familiar, yet so different.

Minho chuckled fondly. “Remember when we snatched Professor Humboldt’s crème de menthe and hid in the supplies closet?”

Kihyun cringed. “Don’t remind me. The thought alone is triggering my gag reflex. Of all the liquor in the world, how does crème de menthe become the drink you stow away in your desk?”

“He was an odd one.” 

Kihyun nodded. “Still is. Continues to stalk the halls, scaring the wits out of the freshman. It’s like he’s made some deal with the devil. At one hundred and eighteen years old, still so spry.” 

Kihyun brushed a finger under his eye, self-conscious. He wished he had a mirror. He had a feeling his face was a mess.

“Don’t. You look beautiful, like a cat that’s been in a fight,” he teased.

“And that’s doing it for you?” Kihyun judged.

“Mm-hmm.” Minho’s fingers reached out and danced over the back of Kihyun’s hand on the table. “It’s cliché, I know, but would you like to go somewhere more quiet, where we don’t need to yell? I have a suite next door. The team booked the whole floor.”

Kihyun’s thighs squeezed together. The insinuation of being alone with Minho set his skin alight with sensitivity. He’d been wound so unbelievably tight lately. Everything reminded him of sex. It was hell or, worse, a second puberty. Not even masturbating rid him of the haze of lust he walked around in on a daily basis. He was turning into Minhyuk.

The captain’s ever increasing presence in his life didn’t help matters. Hyunwoo the man was sweet and thoughtful. Hyunwoo the captain was a man that brooked no argument. That combination did things to Kihyun. What started out as harmless fantasies when he felt horny evolved into something more: feelings he was in no hurry to analyze.

Kihyun would classify him as a friend now, but it wasn’t the same as the others. He felt a distance between them even when sitting next to each other. Maybe Hyunwoo picked up on Kihyun’s inappropriate thoughts and was uncomfortable. At any rate, Hyunwoo didn’t treat or confide in him the way he did with others, didn’t have inside jokes or heart-to-hearts with him. To be fair, Kihyun was relatively new to hanging out with Hyunwoo and friendships took time to cultivate.

Their paths didn’t cross as often as he would like. Kihyun kept him apprised of the medical department’s activities at weekly Senior Officer meetings. It was professional and brief. Kihyun’s presence on missions was required only twice over the past four months. First, for procuring ore the locals of Srehceks had been using for its restorative properties. Total hogwash, as it turns out. Sometimes, a rock is just a rock. The second time happened unexpectantly when a Yecilian priestess guiding the away team went into early labor too far from the temple. Hyunwoo had him beamed down to their location. That miraculous day became Kihyun’s favorite mission to date.

Saturday dinners were the days he could usually count on seeing Hyunwoo, wrapped up in jeans, tees, and sweaters that showed off his arms and collarbones. It wasn’t fair. Hyunwoo’s body may as well be kryptonite. Kihyun went weak when confronted with his bronzed skin and muscles. He knew he’d been caught staring at his dexterous hands, tanned arms and pillowy lips on multiple occasions. It made him feel like a cad, ogling the captain. The poor man found out his girlfriend was a heinous psychopath, only to wake up to the news she’d been assassinated two weeks later. The captain was going through a rough time and here Kihyun was getting off to him nearly every evening.

Kihyun wasn’t sure why he felt so pent up and easily triggered lately. He’d been through dry spells before, but it was different this time. The once harmless fantasies had broken free of his dreams and alone time and plagued him throughout the day. Torrid scenarios danced before his eyes like hallucinations. It happened at lunch, at work, at the gym. Even when, especially when, the captain was mere feet away from him. Maybe this is what happened when a healthy young Bemonian man didn’t have sex for one year and four months. And, yes, he was counting. His hands or fingers or the little dildo he kept hidden in the sock drawer didn’t cut it anymore. The relief offered by those means was fleeting, unable to quell the deep itch that was driving him mad. Perhaps he should order some different toys, something more stimulating. But, he really didn’t want to play with himself anymore. He wanted someone to play with him. Touch-starved, that’s what he was. He felt it on a physical and emotional plane. 

Kihyun’s eyes traveled across Minho’s features, an affectionate smile tugging at his lips. The taller man across from stirred up some intriguing memories as phantom touches licked across his skin. Minho was his first everything. The boy from whom he learned what he liked and didn’t like. The first body he explored. That first body that explored him. He could remember how sweetly and reverent Minho would kiss down his body, how well he sucked him down, obsessed with the taste of him, before sinking into him, driving into him in a frenzy of teenage hormones that only lasted a few minutes. Looking at the man before him, he’d wager Minho could last much, much longer now. Even if he couldn’t, Kihyun would take it.

“Or, we could stay here. Talk. Dance.” Minho said, mistaking Kihyun’s prolonged silence as an answer.

Kihyun looked at him in horror. “No! Let’s go.”

Maybe Minho wanted to talk, but he would recognize that look in his eyes anywhere, had seen it every day for a year and a half at school before Minho left to follow his dream. There would be more than talking, a great deal more.

“Yeah?” Minho took his smaller hand, leading him out of the club to the adjoining hotel. Kihyun awkwardly waved to Hoseok and Changkyun as they passed. The one downside to life on a ship? There were no secrets.

Hands still clasped in the elevator, they locked eyes, each daring the other to make the first move. Kihyun laughed at the tense atmosphere. Minho finally leaned down to press his lips against his cherry ones, sliding his hands down Kihyun’s sides. 

Minho chuckled, looking down. He hooked his fingers in one of the slots down the front of the shirt. “What is this?”

“It’s called a shirt. Maybe you should have stayed in school after all.” He pushed Minho into the corner and kissed him.

“Not much of a shirt, but I like it,” Minho kissed against him, hands grabbing his ass and pulling him flush against him. “I’d like it even better on my floor.”

“You’re so lame. Shut up and kiss me.”

“I don’t think so.” Minho teased his ear with his teeth. “Tell me. Is your belly still sensitive? If I nibble at it, will you make a mess of yourself?” Minho lightly dragged his fingernail across one of the slits at his stomach. 

Kihyun bucked forward. “Shit. Minho, please don’t talk like that right now,” he whined.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said.

Kihyun pulled his face back to him, managing to glare and kiss him at the same time. He pulled back. “Tell me. Will you be able to last more than three minutes?”

“Touché.” Minho brought a hand to his heart, wounded. “I’d say ‘don’t worry,’ but you really should. I’ve honed my craft both on and off the field, babe. You’ve no idea what you’re in for.” He smacked his ass, sending sparks up Kihyun’s spine.

“Prove it,” Kihyun ordered.

“As you wish,” he said, sliding a hand down the back of Kihyun’s pants. A digit pressed against his hole, teasing the rim.

The air left Kihyun’s body as he sagged against Minho. “I think I’m going to be the one that doesn’t make it past three.” Kihyun bit his lip, hyper-attune to each touch and pass against him. Wetness seeped into his underwear and he rubbed his cock against Minho.

“Desperate, are we? Have you been neglected? I find that difficult to imagine. Bet you look real cute striding about in that Starfleet uniform, barking orders, always so bossy.” Kihyun squirmed against him as Minho nibbled at his neck. “Although, something tells me they have no clue how you surrender all control when you’re in the throes of-” He applied just enough pressure that the tip of his finger breached and Kihyun violently shuddered, a moan punching out of him. “-passion.” 

Kihyun gripped Minho’s shirt in his hands and pushed back on the finger. “Minho,” he pleaded.

The elevator pinged, the doors beginning to slide open. They jerked away and apart from each other. Kihyun looked at the ground, red-faced and shaken. He focused on the three pairs of boots in front of him.

“See, this is what I call fate,” a familiar voice drawled.

Kihyun’s head whipped up. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said under his breath. Sharp and, just past him, the wonder twins. He lunged forward to ring the alarm on the panel, but Sharp smoothly looped his arms around his waist and arms, pulling him back to the opposite side of the elevator.

“Kihyun?!” Minho said, alarmed. The blond and brunet blocked him.

“This is incredibly unfortunate, Dr. Yoo,” the brunet said, firing his phaser at Minho. He collapsed in a heavy heap at the floor, head smacking on the marble floor. 

Kihyun shouted, lurching forward. 

Sharp tightened his hold. “Don’t worry, doc. Phasers are set to stun. We’re a lot of things, but killers is not one of them.” He paused, considering. “Most of the time.”

“Why are you here? You don’t need me. I can give you plenty of referrals. I’m begging you,” Kihyun implored, still trying to get to Minho.

Sharp laughed. “You’re going to sacrifice another doctor to the wolves? For shame, Dr. Yoo. You’re more devious than I thought.”

He brought his lips to his ear. “I like it,” he said.

The blond nearly threw his neck out rolling his eyes at Sharp’s theatrics. “We’re not here for you,” he said. “Like Sharp mentioned, this is some strange twist of fate.”

The brunet pointed the phaser at Kihyun. “There’s no such thing. I’d say you're just unlucky. At any rate, we can’t have you ringing alarms until we’re clear of the premises.”

“Eh, don’t shoot him. He’ll wake up feeling like shit. I’ve got this.” Sharp said. 

Kihyun wriggled, paranoid. “What? What have you got? Please don’t touch my head.”

“Not to worry. I’ve been working on this,” Sharp explained.

“Working on?! I’m not a guinea pig, you dimwit.” He pulled an arm free and blindly grabbed a fist full of the man’s hair and pulled.

Sharp hissed and yanked his head back to free himself, strengthening his hold around the doctor.

The blond laughed at the hair in Kihyun’s fist.

“A little help, please,” Sharp asked the blond.

The blond complied with a satisfied grin, taking hold of Kihyun’s forearms in his hands. 

“I can’t tell you how I’ve missed that tone of voice,” Sharp continued. “As I was saying, no need to worry. When you wake up, you can return to your regularly scheduled activities. Can’t say your friend will be up to the task though. Sorry about that.” He walked his fingers along the back side of his neck, finding the right placement while Kihyun’s heart nearly gave out.

The anticipation was almost painful. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists in apprehension, fingernails biting into his palms. One against three in an enclosed environment, what choice did he have? ‘They weren’t going to kill him.’ He repeated it in his head like a mantra.

“There we go,” Sharp said, satisfied, finally locking his fingers into place. “Goodnight, doc.” He squeezed. 

Kihyun slumped forward. Gunhee caught him and hauled him up and over his shoulder. “Get the boyfriend,” he ordered.

“Sure. Sure. Leave the grunt work for the young ones,” Seokwon complained.

Yoonho and Seokwon carried Minho to an unoccupied suite on the 14th floor, dropping him on the floor and shaking their arms out. Gunhee gently laid the doctor on the bed. 

Yoosoo’s voice came through their ear buds. “Stop dicking around and get out. The ambassador’s on his way up. You got what you needed?”

Gunhee hit his com. “Yeah. We’re done here. Meet you in four. Fry the 14th floor cam. There was a little hiccup.”

“Define ‘little,’” Yoosoo ordered.

Gunhee internally groaned at Yoosoo’s tone. “It’s taken care of. Just do it.” 

Gunhee propped a pillow under the Kihyun’s head. Seokwon raised a brow, waiting at the door with Yoonho.

“What? I owe him,” he said as they returned to the elevators.

“Whatever,” Yoonho said. He patted the breast pocket inside his jacket and grinned. “We’re going to be rich.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter = Showki
> 
> I almost scrapped this entire chapter. It felt too similar to Chapter 1, but the point is to sexually frustrate Kihyun as much as humanly possible and to instill a bit of fear and trepidation.


	10. Terlesia-Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Showki is underway at long last. Thank you for being patient.

“Your brain scan came out fine. You can use a cold compress for the bump. I’ve spoken to your coach and informed him you shouldn’t push it today, meaning no running or working out with heavy machines or objects. Being stunned is hardly the worst thing in the world, but just to be safe.”

“I was right,” Minho said.

“About what?” Kihyun asked offhandedly, scribbling notes in his tablet.

Minho sat on the exam table, long legs dangling over the edge. “You look real cute in your uniform.”

Minhyuk snorted, drawing Kihyun’s attention. He was snooping through all the cabinets and drawers. He just found the stickers reserved for children.

Kihyun returned his focus to Minho and smiled. He had changed into his uniform upon returning to the ship. It felt unprofessional being in the clinic wearing his outfit from earlier. Besides tending to Minho, there were questions to answer.

When he entered the war room over an hour ago, captains from other ships docked at Starbase 349 sat at the table. Some physically there, some transmitting there. It was fast. There wasn’t much information he could provide. Kihyun had no idea why Sharp was there.

When Kihyun regained consciousness, he contacted security, alarms were rung and exits sealed. Kihyun was free from the war room after fifteen minutes of questioning, most of which was spent sitting back and watching the occupants talk over each other. Captain Son looked annoyed. Hyunwoo liked things orderly, but he couldn’t exactly tell other captains to shut their traps, especially ones twice his age. Captain Son dismissed Kihyun in a resounding voice and the room quieted. Kihyun gladly left.

None of the ambassadors or leaders staying at the hotel reported anything wrong or missing. Kihyun figured that could mean one of two things. Sharp and company didn’t succeed, or they succeeded too well and nothing was noticed. Alternatively, if one of the guests was involved in something shady or untoward, coming forward would be the last thing they would want to do.

Kihyun placed his hand atop Minho’s. “Not to kick you out of my clinic, but you have questions to answer and your team is waiting for you at the hotel.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s only been a couple hours. Two-thirty in the morning. Intern Marle will escort you to Captain Son. You’ll be out of here in no time. Get some rest. I recommend chocolate if you’re feeling unwell later.”

Minho slid off the table and left a chaste kiss on Kihyun’s forehead. “It was nice seeing you, despite the phaser.”

“Likewise,” Kihyun said.

Minho backed up towards the door where Intern Marle was waiting. “And, despite never making it to my suite.”

Kihyun sighed and helplessly shrugged his shoulders. 

With a wink, Minho turned and followed Intern Marle out.

Kihyun sagged against the exam table, exhausted. “I hate my life,” he groaned.

“Yeah. Your life is pretty sucky lately.” Minhyuk said around a sucker. He pressed a unicorn sticker on the back of Kihyun’s hand.

“Thanks for staying, Min. I’m going to shower and go to bed. You should return to the party.”

Minhyuk looked at him with worried eyes. “Party’s over, babe. Shut down. Remember?”

“No, I passed it on my way back from questioning. It’s been moved to the mess hall. A definite downgrade, but it looked pretty lively.”

Min perked up. “You sure I can’t convince you to come? There’s still time yet to turn this night around.”

“No. I’ll try it again soon though. Promise.”

“Are you...,” Minhyuk faltered. “How do you feel? Seeing them again, I mean.”

Kihyun bit out a dark laugh and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know. I feel like a coward and I hate it.” 

“Babe, you are not a coward,” Minhyuk stated.

Kihyun shook his head. “You’re wrong. The reality is, when it counts, I freeze up or I hesitate out of fear.”

“Hey. Where is all this coming from? Since when do you put yourself down? You’re my best friend and I won’t have it. You’re a blessing to this ship. A godsend to me and Jooheon. And, definitely not a coward. Remember when you decked that royal surgeon for performing under the influence last year? The diplomatic shit storm that followed? You didn’t bat an eye.”

Kihyun smiled despite himself. Captain really lit into him for that one.

Minhyuk pressed a firetruck sticker onto his cheek. “You physically put your body between your patients and harm’s way when you’re out there. When there’s phaser fire and god knows what else. That’s not your job by the way. I wish you’d stop doing that.” Minhyuk pulled him away from the table to stand up straight. He squinted down at him. “Is this working at all?”

The side of Kihyun’s mouth lifted. “A little.”

“Good.” Minhyuk pulled him into a hug.

“I can’t believe those assholes cockblocked me again,” Kihyun said into Minhyuk’s shoulder.

“Want me to kill them for you?”

“No,” he pouted.

“Well. I’ve got plans for you. I’ve been taking a backseat thinking things would work themselves out, but you two need serious help. Don’t fret, Ki. This time next month, Captain Son will be whispering sweet nothings into your ear and pounding your pert ass into the mattress. All will be right in the universe. You’ll see.”

Kihyun pushed Minhyuk back. “Min! Don’t joke.” He glared at Minhyuk, but upon seeing the intent look on his friend’s face, he paled. That was Minhyuk’s patented matchmaker face. “Min, please. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think I do. Nobody knows you better than me. You like-like the captain. It’s plain as day. At first, I thought it was progressing quite nicely and naturally, but you two are frustratingly dumb and agonizingly slow.”

“You’re reading it wrong. He doesn’t like me. The only reason these dinners started was because he felt sorry for me.”

“Maybe he did feel sorry for you. Why do people always label that a bad thing? It shows he cares about you.”

“He’s used to goddesses like Hyolyn and Tamra underneath him.”

“Oh, no you don’t. You know you’re hot. You’re downright mesmerizing when you want to be. Believe me, he knows it, too. Don’t be scared, Ki. What’s the harm in trying it out?”

Kihyun threw his hand out, exasperated. “He’s my boss, for starters.”

“You think Hyunwoo would treat you any differently if things did or didn’t work out?”

Kihyun looked away. “Well, no, but-”

“You can fight me at every turn if you want, but I’m moving forward. Sleep on it. I think you can make him quite happy. More importantly, I know he can make you happy.”

“I am happy,” Kihyun grumbled.

“Happier, then,” Minhyuk conceded.

__

Kihyun turned the corner on the way to his quarters and came face to face with Hyunwoo.

“Good night, Captain,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo grinned. “Were you a good boy?”

Confusion knitted his brow. “Sorry, sir?”

Hyunwoo peeled the firetruck sticker off his cheek. Kihyun blushed. Oh. “Minhyuk must think so,” he said awkwardly.

“Your friend made it back safely to the hotel. Choi Minho, huh? Jooheon must have flipped.”

Kihyun looked at the ground, uncomfortable. “Another lifetime ago.” It was strange. When he began spending time with Hyunwoo, he had no problem talking about men or Dongwook. Now, he didn’t like it at all. It twisted his stomach. There wasn’t anything immoral about running off with Minho, but he suddenly felt ashamed. Kihyun had a sinking suspicion it had to do with his heart.

Sensing Kihyun’s discomfort, Hyunwoo switched gears. “I was actually on my way to the clinic. Our plans have changed. The U.S.S. Einstein will take the Ischor Royal party back in our stead. Starfleet has asked us to go to Terlesia. A diplomatic venture. This will be the fifth time Starfleet has approached them with joining the Federation.”

Going to Terlesia would take them way off course from their intended path. “Sir, if I may? Why are we going if they don’t have an interest? Aren’t our resources better allocated elsewhere?”

“Each time Starfleet meets them, we learn a little more about them. Each meeting is longer than the last. We believe interest is growing. Who knows? Perhaps the sixth time is the charm. We’ve been invited to stay on Terlesia, which hasn’t happened before. Dr. Im is running head on this. He’s studied them in great detail. After reviewing the past meetings from other starships, he recommends that all Chief officers come down, be polite, cordial, take an avid interest in their culture. It’s a show of respect if we are all present. You’ll find a file on your tablet that you will need to study. Memorize it.”

“I can do that, Sir.”

“Good boy.” Hyunwoo pressed the sticker back on his cheek. “Good night, Dr. Yoo.” He stepped back. “I haven’t forgotten about yesterday morning. There will be consequences. Report to my ready room at 9:00.”

Kihyun was rendered silent, his stomach flip-flopping. Hyunwoo lifted a brow, waiting for the proper response.

Kihyun blinked. “Yes, Captain,” he said, sounding slightly out of breath. He watched Hyunwoo’s retreating form and absently brought his fingers to the sticker on his cheek. The man was really confusing.

—

Kihyun stepped into the Captain’s office the next morning.

“Ah. Good. You’re here early. I’ll have to keep this short. I’ve got another meeting to attend. Take a seat, please.”

“Captain,” he said in greeting and acquiescence, sitting on the edge of the chair in front of his desk and clasping his hands in his lap. This was always nerve-wracking. It wasn’t exactly fun to witness the captain channel his military upbringing and list your failings and stupidity in unapologetic detail.

Hyunwoo minimized the holoscreen in front of him with a swipe of his hand and looked at Kihyun. Any geniality from his greeting vanished. All that remained was a very serious captain. “I was thinking, instead of me telling you what you did wrong as I usually do, I want you to tell me what you did wrong.”

Butterflies swarmed Kihyun’s stomach. This was different. The unexpected change threw him off balance. Usually, he kept his mouth shut and listened to the captain reprimand and correct him. Talking back in the heat of the moment was one thing, but it would be suicide to talk back in this setting. No one ever did. You sat up straight and listened. It was a one-way conversation. 

Captain was asking him to interact. It made him nervous. Maybe he was in deeper shit than he initially thought. To top it all off, heat pricked just under his skin. This scenario, the captain demanding that he verbalize what he did wrong, like he was an errant schoolboy, was kind of hot. It was freakishly similar to one of the fantasies he cooked up. The kind that ended up with red, smarting ass cheeks and come dripping down the side of the desk. ‘Shit, Kihyun,’ he scolded himself. This was not the time or the place.

“Go on. I don’t have much time,” Hyunwoo said, taking a sip of coffee.

“Uh. I-” Kihyun swallowed. “I behaved childishly yesterday morning. It was inappropriate and I apologize. I didn’t uphold the expectations of my title.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “A good start. So, let me ask you, are you a child, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun’s heart pounded furiously. “No, Captain.”

“Do you not enjoy being the Chief Medical Officer?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun quickly shook his head. “No, Captain. It means everything to me.”

“Still, you chose to act as a recalcitrant child on a United Starship off all places.”

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

Hyunwoo took another sip. “Continue. What else did you do wrong?”

“Sir?” Kihyun asked. What did he want from him?

“Think.” He said it calmly, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent of annoyance.

Sweat lined the back of his hair and he licked his dry lips. He wasn’t used to this, Hyunwoo shining the light on him as if this were an interrogation room. He was stressed and turned on and it scared him. This could potentially be humiliating for him.

“Do you need help? I thought you weren’t a child. How do you get to be a Chief Officer and not know? Perhaps I made an error in assigning your position,” Hyunwoo said cooly.

Hot anger bubbled up at that last statement, but he pushed it down. He needed to remain calm.

Hyunwoo sighed heavily. “If I were the one leading this conversation, which I seem to be doing anyway, what would I be saying to you?”

Kihyun wiped his sweaty palms on his knees. “I embarrassed the ship in front of our guests.” He hated the weakness in his voice.

“There’s one. One more to go,” Hyunwoo informed.

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo, lost. He honestly didn’t know.

Hyunwoo set his mug down. “I’m disappointed.” He crossed his arm and sat back in his chair. “I guess I’ll have to help you out. Where were you yesterday morning?”

“Greenhouse Thirteen,” Kihyun answered.

“And, why were you in Greenhouse Thirteen?”

“For community service,” he responded.

Hyunwoo nodded. “For community service. Now, why were you assigned community service?”

“As punishment for disregarding orders,” Kihyun said in a soft voice.

“As punishment for disregarding orders,” Hyunwoo repeated. “So, while you were carrying out your punishment, you thought it appropriate to play around?”

“No, Captain.”

“But, that is what you did, is it not?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“And?” Hyunwoo said, not bothering to hide his ire.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I won’t do it again.”

“That’s right. You won’t because you won’t be returning to the greenhouses for punishment and you will no longer perform your punishment with others.”

“What?” Kihyun asked, wondering what he meant.

Hyunwoo leveled him with a look.

Kihyun colored further. “I mean, yes, Captain.”

“I’ve spoken with Lieutenant Chae just before your arrival,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun gripped the arms of the chairs, panic flooding his system. Did Hyungwon say something stupid? Was sexual harassment about to be added to his rap sheet, too?

“I never considered it before. Putting the two of you together isn’t exactly an apt punishment. Hyungwon said you grew up among greenhouses and that you’re fond of them. I’ve decided to keep Hyungwon on greenhouse detail as he states he hates it. I’m moving you to janitorial detail.”

Kihyun cringed.

A satisfied smile spread across Hyunwoo’s face. “I see I’ve made the correct choice. As for your most recent transgression, I am assigning you twenty hours of janitorial service on top the six left from before.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo stood up. Kihyun shot to his feet as well.

“No, sit down. I’m not quite done.” Hyunwoo came around to the front of the desk, leaning on the edge right before Kihyun.

Kihyun slowly dropped back down into the chair, clasping his hands again. Hyunwoo loomed large over him. The captain’s torso filled his line of sight.

“Community service is a time to reflect on yourself, on your errors, on your shortcomings. I don’t appreciate you using it as a social hour. You have a history of abusing and bending rules to your favor and it stops now. You are a senior officer on board a United Starship. I don’t enjoy speaking to you about this time and time again. It’s a waste of my time. You’re wasting my time.”

Kihyun winced.

“Kihyun, explain to me why you misbehave,” Hyunwoo said. “I’m trying to understand.”

The room suddenly felt cold to Kihyun. Something had just switched, and he didn’t like it. “I’m sorry, Captain. Yesterday-”

Hyunwoo held out a hand, stopping him. “I’m not talking about yesterday. Why do you continually disregard my orders and rules?”

“I’m not sure how to respond, Sir. I don’t set out to do it,” Kihyun said, glancing up. He felt pinned down by the captain. It was formidable.

Hyunwoo leaned down, taking hold of the chair’s arms. Kihyun leaned back further into the chair. Kihyun was no longer turned on. The captain honestly just looked tired and Kihyun just felt bad about himself. His wavering confidence, which had taken a huge blow the past four months, descended even further.

“I disagree. I think you do. You pick and choose the orders you follow based on whether it falls in line with what you want to do. That is a problem. I have told you this repeatedly.” Hyunwoo looked at him expectantly.

Kihyun looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry, Sir.” He felt miserable. The captain never made him feel quite this way before. 

“According to your file you’re incredibly smart. Your achievements seem to reinforce that statement. Don’t bother apologizing to me anymore. Your words are empty. Do you know what they say about people who make the same mistakes over and over again?”

Kihyun’s chest felt tight.

“Dr. Yoo, I am your captain. Look at me when I am speaking to you. It’s disrespectful. Answer the question.”

Kihyun swallowed and met his eyes, only a foot away from him. The urge to cry was damningly strong. He honestly would if he were alone right now. “That it is a choice, a habit.”

“That’s right. I believe I have neglected you. I should have taken you under my wing, helped to mentor you after placing you in the role of Chief Medical Officer. I think I am partly to blame for some of your transgressions. I gave you and others passes because you didn’t receive full training, hoping you all needed a little more time to grow into your roles. I see now it was a mistake. I am going to speak candidly with you. A captain needs to be able to trust his crew, especially his Senior Officers. When it comes to you, I would be lying if I said that trust was there. It’s not. I can’t count on you. I have no idea that, when it matters, you will do as I command.”

Kihyun took a shaky breath.

“You may think I’m being too harsh, unfair. I am not. If you are feeling that way, it proves that you were never ready for this position. I am telling you this because I want to trust you, but you need to earn it. You and others, you’re not the only one, have been coddled. This ship was christened under unusual circumstances, but it’s time to grow up. I will not tolerate disregarding orders in the future, not from anybody, but especially from a Senior Officer. I will throw you in the brig next time. If you have concerns about an order and you want to talk it out with me, you may, but my final decision is exactly that: final. A crew’s strength starts at the top, that includes you. Can you live up to these expectations?”

“Yes, Captain,” Kihyun replied.

Hyunwoo’s stern-set face looked into his eyes, checking for the truth of his response. He pushed away from the chair. “Dismissed.”

Kihyun nodded and stood. With one last glance at Hyunwoo, he exited. Several people greeted him on the command deck and he plastered on a fake smile. Hyungwon looked at him curiously from his station.

Instead of heading to the clinic, he returned to his quarters. He needed some solitude, some time to pull himself together. He splashed water onto his face. Gripping the edge of the kitchen counter with his head bent, he breathed deeply, in and out. The thing was, there was nobody to be angry at but himself. Nothing Captain Son said was false or unwarranted. The truth is what made it so hard, made him feel like shit. 

“Dr. Yoo?” Intern Marle’s voice came through his com.

Kihyun hit his com, “Yes?”

“Your 9:3o is here.”

“On my way.” 

—

Hoseok sat down across from him at lunch that day, his tray laden with two trays worth of food.

Kihyun struggled not to roll his eyes. He intentionally came to lunch a half hour early to avoid everyone. He also intentionally chose a tiny table to discourage company.

“Here I was thinking I’d have to eat to alone,” Hoseok said happily.

“Hooray,” Kihyun droned, hoping he’d take a hint if he kept reading from his tablet.

“What’s wrong, Kihyun? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Yes. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and would like to be alone. No offense.”

Hoseok grinned. “None taken.” He opened a milk carton. “Hell of a night last night, am I right?”

“Hoseok, can we just eat in silence, please?”

“Sure,” Hoseok replied.

Kihyun read two paragraphs before Hoseok interrupted him.

“You excited about Terlesia? Changkyun said they have pleasure slaves. Slave isn’t the right word, more like mistresses, both male and female. Every member of the court has one or more. They’re said to be beautiful and very inviting, if you know what I mean.”

Kihyun dropped his tablet and sighed. “Hoseok, why are you really here?”

Hoseok had the decency to look sheepish at being caught. “I heard through the grapevine you’re not yourself today. Seeing you now, I can see they were correct. Was it running into those men again?”

“No.”

“Was it difficult saying goodbye to Minho?”

“No.”

Hoseok bit into his chicken and nodded. “So, it was your meeting with Hyunwoo,” he surmised.

“Hoseok, don’t,” Kihyun said.

Hoseok shrugged innocently. “Don’t what?”

Kihyun’s lips thinned in displeasure. “I don’t want a lecture from you. I’ve already gotten one today.”

“Who said I’m about to give a lecture?”

“It’s clearly written on your face. You’re in hyung mode and it’s pissing me off. Let me mope in peace.” Kihyun viciously speared a green bean and shoved it in his mouth.

Hoseok laughed at him. “I only have to modes with you: hyung mode and commander mode. Trust me, you do not want commander mode right now; he’s very disappointed and angry with you. You’d be dust. Ashes. Now, tell hyung. What did the captain say that has you so bent out of shape?”

Kihyun glared fire at him.

Hoseok waved a white napkin above his head in surrender. “Alright. Alright. I’ll let you mope.” He returned to his food.

Kihyun continued reading his tablet, half-heartedly eating his vegetable medley bowl. He read this page at least twenty times today. He still didn’t know what it said. He peaked up at Hoseok, who was resolutely focused on his food, as promised.

“Hoseok?” Kihyun began timidly.

“Yes?” he smiled smugly.

“Do you think I’m a good Senior Officer?”

Hoseok paused, pressing his lips together. “I think you’re an asset to this ship,” he offered.

Kihyun bit his lip. “So, you don’t think I am either.”

“I see. He finally said something to you.” Hoseok exhaled and regarded the younger man. “It’s not that you’re a bad Senior Officer. It’s that you could be a better Senior Officer. If it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one with disciplinary issues.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Then suck it up and change,” Hoseok said seriously. “This isn’t rocket science. You have a flaw, you fix it. You have a weakness, you strengthen it. The captain doesn’t tell you these things to hurt your feelings. He tells you so you can grow, become better. All you scientists and scholars on this ship need to grow some thicker skin. Toughen up. This is Starfleet, not daycare. Think about this from his position. You are head of the medical department. Yet, you don’t follow orders and your subordinates see you carrying out community service every weekend. What kind of example are you setting? If you were Captain, would you want an officer like that?”

“That was a lecture,” Kihyun accused, pushing his bowl away.

Hoseok pushed the bowl back to him. “Don’t be such a drama queen. Your path is easy. Almost every aspect of your performance as Chief Medical Officer is beyond reproach and those words are straight from the captain’s mouth. You just have this one thing to work on. Don’t be weird. Take his criticism with grace.”

“I didn’t not take it with grace,” Kihyun grouched.

“Oh, really? What do you call this behavior right now?”

Caught, Kihyun smiled, chagrined. He tried to flatten it.

Hoseok grinned. “There we go. That’s what I came here to see.”

Kihyun hid his traitorous smile behind his hand. “I kind of want to hit and hug you at the same time.” Hoseok had a certain way about him. Hyung mode mojo was a real thing. While Kihyun was embarrassed about his moody behavior today, as always, he felt better after talking to Hoseok, his stalwart hyung.

“I get that a lot. From you, I’m willing to accept both. Truce?” Hoseok offered his cinnamon glazed apples.

“Truce.” Kihyun reached out to take it.

Hoseok pulled it out of reach. “It comes on one condition though. Don’t let this morning make things weird between you two. It’s his job. It’s not personal. Remember that.”

“Okay,” Kihyun said, taking the dessert.

__

Travel to Terlesia was a four day enterprise and they would be beaming down under the blackness of night. Coming to Terlesia bothered Kihyun at first. Originally, after Ischor, they were going to be set on a path that would take them to undeveloped worlds. Worlds with untapped resources to study. Minhyuk commiserated with him on the change of itinerary.

After studying the file Changkyun sent them, he reluctantly admitted that he was intrigued. Excited, even.

Terlesia sounded beautiful with vibrant mountains, unusual trees and flora, hot springs and rivers, spiraling architecture and rich farmland. His camera was the first thing he packed. The Terlesian people were humanoid, very similar to themselves, with varying shades of green hair. Beauty and art were of the upmost importance. The palace, where they would be staying, led a decadent lifestyle. According to Changkyun, Terlesians were generous hosts, but they also expected polite and engaging guests. They were easily offended and the seven of them would need to tread carefully.

“All Senior Officers report to Transport 3.”

Well, that’s his queue. He powered down his quarters and left for transport, rolling his suitcase behind him. He grinned to himself. This honestly couldn’t have come at a better time. Yearly physicals were still underway. This provided the perfect escape. He was tired of taking blood samples from adults who still cringed and went faint from the moment he uncapped a needle, from soldiers breaking out into a sweat from a little pin prick. He wouldn’t have to deal with urine samples for next two to four days; Changkyun wasn’t sure how long their stay would last. He loved being a doctor, but, hell, there were just too many people on the ship to evaluate all at once. He needed a break. He was looking forward to new food, hot springs and photographing this new world.

Kihyun entered Transport 3. 

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo acknowledged as Kihyun stepped onto the platform.

“Captain.” Kihyun looked around. They were waiting on Hyungwon.

Minhyuk threw an arm around Kihyun. “This is going to be so much fun, don’t you think, Captain?”

Hyunwoo quirked a brow. “This is a diplomatic engagement, not a vacation, Dr. Lee. Do I need to be worried about you?”

Minhyuk grinned. “No, Sir. I’ve studied that file forwards and backwards. I’m a veritable scholar on Terlesian customs. But, come on. Aren’t you a little excited? We get to see a world hardly anybody else has access to.” 

“I suppose it may provide ‘a little’ fun,” he allowed.

Minhyuk slapped his arm. “That’s the spirit, Captain.” Minhyuk squeezed Kihyun tighter. “You packed something for the hot springs, right?”

“Yes. I think this is the fifth time you’ve asked me,” Kihyun said.

“Well, you are a little scatterbrained lately. Just looking after you. Which suit did you pack? The little red one? The silky black one? The clingy peach one?”

Hyunwoo quickly looked away, mumbling something about Hyungwon.

Kihyun pursed his lips at Minhyuk. He knew exactly what Min was doing, and he didn’t appreciate it.

Minhyuk smiled wickedly.

Hyungwon finally entered, wearing sunglasses. 

“You do know it’s nighttime, right?” Hoseok asked.

“I read the manual. They appreciate fashion,” Hyungwon said, taking his place.

“Sure it doesn’t have to do with the dark circles you’re hiding?” Kihyun said.

“Zip it, Yoo.”

Changkyun clapped his hands. “Okay. We’re all here. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Be polite. Be charming. Above all, be agreeable. If they want to show you the gardens, go with them. If they want you to try a particular food, eat it. For the next several days, we adopt their customs. If you’re not sure how to respond, come to me for guidance. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” they said in unison, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Changkyun nodded to Hyunwoo. “Seven to beam down.”

They materialized at the edge of the palace gates. Intricate metal sculptures holding torches lit the way up to the castle. The torches did not provide enough light to properly see the world around them, but, from what he could see, Kihyun bet the castle was breathtaking in the daylight.

A man with several armed soldiers came down to meet them.

Hyunwoo stepped forward to meet hands with the Terlesian King. “It’s a pleasure to meet your highness. I am Captain Son Hyunwoo of the U.S.S. Newton. Your invitation honors us.”

“Welcome to Terlesia. Call me Ignatious, please. I hope your journey was pleasant. It’s a pity at your timing. I would have loved to show you around. I promise to do so in the morning. Unfortunately, the shroud of night provides some dangers. Please, don’t take offense of the weapons behind me. Terlesia offers much beauty, but it also harbors an eclectic and frightening species of nocturnal birds of prey. Let’s get you inside and safe before continuing introductions.”

They followed the party up to the castle and inside. “Please consider this your home for the duration of your stay. We call it Exorshia. It translates to ‘loving surrender,’” Ignatious explained.

In the light, Kihyun could see that Ignatious was a handsome man with forest green hair. Streaks of dulled green ran through it, not unlike gray hair on humans. Kihyun placed him at sixty years old, assuming they aged similarly.

The palace itself was gorgeous. The walls, floors and stairs made from marble-like stone. It seemed as if the world itself split open to form the foundation of the palace. It had a natural beauty. A natural beauty swathed and decked with intricate, manmade decor and carvings. Kihyun and Minhyuk shared a look of awe.

Steps echoed down the hall and a graceful woman and spritely younger woman approached them. “Here come my wife and daughter,” Ignatious said.

“So glad you’ve made it,” the older woman said. “I’m Hollyean. This is my daughter, Levania. Come stand in the light. Let me see you.”

They were still standing in the shadows of the entrance and they made their way forward to the center of the large room, lit by a colossal labyrinth of an inverted chandelier spanning half the ceiling. Kihyun was so enthralled by it, he tripped over the edge of a rug. He went careening forward and Hyunwoo stooped down before him to stop the impact. Kihyun clung to Hyunwoo as the captain stood from his crouch.

Breathless, Kihyun looked up at Hyunwoo and swallowed. “Thank you, Captain.” Kihyun got his feet back under him and looked down, embarrassed. He saw that it wasn’t a rug, but a fur, an enormous fur throw. What kind of animal was this big? Kihyun continued to look down in amazement, forgetting where he was.

Hyunwoo tugged his hand and Kihyun absentmindedly followed, eyes taken in by everything.

“There will be plenty of time to explore later, Dr. Yoo. Remember why we are here,” Hyunwoo said, amused.

“Right, Captain,” Kihyun said distractedly.

Hyunwoo pulled him to the rest of the group where Changkyun was introducing everybody. Changkyun gestured to Hyunwoo. “-And, this is Captain Son Hyunwoo and our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Yoo Kihyun.”

“Oh.” Hollyean clutched her heart and grabbed Ignations’s arm. “Captain Son, your Shia is lovely.”

Hyunwoo and Kihyun froze. All eyes went to them. Hyunwoo hastily dropped Kihyun’s hand and stepped away from him. He looked to Changkyun with wide, beseeching eyes.

‘Shia?’ Kihyun thought. Surely, she doesn’t think that he’s Hyunwoo’s mistress. 

Hollyean came before him and took his face in her hands. “This skin. So beautiful. I wish I would have known.” She looked back at Levania. “Darling, go have the maids bring Dr. Yoo’s things to the captain’s room.”

Changkyun approached them cautiously as if approaching a spooked horse, warning Hyunwoo to stay silent. Kihyun saw that past Changkyun, the rest were sporting shit-eating grins.

Coming up behind Hyunwoo, Changkyun brought his lips to the captain’s ear. “Do not, under any circumstances, correct them if you want our talks to proceed. It would be an insult and an embarrassment they wouldn't recover from.”

Hyunwoo cleared his throat. “That’s very kind of you Hollyean. Thank you, Levania.”

If Kihyun’s face wasn’t still trapped in Hollyean’s loving hands, he would be smacking the captain right now.

“You’re not altogether human, are you, dear?” She asked tracing his cheekbones and looking at him like he was her beloved pet.

“No, ma’am.”

“Hollyean, dear. I feel dreadful. I wasn’t prepared for a Shia. Do forgive me Captain Son, Dr. Yoo. May I call you Kihyun? Such a charming name.” 

Hyungwon laughed.

“Yes,” Kihyun said politely. Fucking Hyungwon. When his physical came up next week, Kihyun would make sure it hurt. Some people just had the trickiest veins.

Ignatious moved towards them. “Hollyean. Dr. Yoo isn’t a Shia. Earthlings don’t have such people. He’s your lover, isn’t that right, Captain Son?”

This time Minhyuk chortled, delighted.

“Yes, my...lover,” Hyunwoo agreed, staring ahead. He stood as if he was at the edge of a plank, doomed to his fate.

Hollyean’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Oh, do forgive me. I didn’t mean any insult. Shias are held in the highest regard here. I, myself, was a Shia before I married Ignatious. I haven’t offended you, have I?”

Kihyun shook his head. “No. Not at all.”

Levania rejoined them.

Hollyean finally let him go. “It’s a shame it’s so late, but it’s not quite late enough for bed. Would you like some repast and fondlement before you retire?”

‘Fondlement?’ That wasn’t in the file.

Changkyun took the lead. “Absolutely. Some nourishment and company sounds delightful. Your generosity warms us.”

Ignatious nodded his head, pleased. “Let’s withdraw to the evening lounge then. Follow me.”

“Oh, Kihyun, wait.” Levania reached out and took his hand. “You would honor us all if you would wear the silks of our Shia. I don’t mean to impose, but you would look ever so lovely.”

Minhyuk stepped forward. “He’d love to. Kihyun loves silk, don’t you Ki?”

Changkyun nodded encouragingly.

So, this was apparently happening. “When in Rome...” Kihyun smiled nervously and let Levania lead him up the stairs and away from the group.

She took him to a large harem-like powder room and sat him a plush cushioned stool. Several Shia eyed him on their way out, presumably on their way to the evening lounge. Kihyun could see that by silks, Levania meant nighties. Kihyun felt a bit queasy. He couldn’t parade around in one of those slips in front of everyone.

“Levania, I-,” he cut himself off, not sure what to say. He didn’t want to ruin anything by refusing. If the Newton could succeed in this where others failed, it would be a boon to the ship’s name. Especially after Captain Son’s sterling reputation was dragged through the mud after Hyolyn’s downfall.

“What is it, love?” Levania asked. She looked around and appeared to draw the correct conclusion. “Is this all a bit much for you?”

Kihyun couldn’t respond. Levania approached him and pulled him to stand. “We’ll find something suitable. I am not naïve in the ways of diplomacy. It would be in poor taste if you returned to the others in your uniform at this point. I’m sorry I forced your hand. My mouth runs off before I can think sometimes.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I not upset and, of course, I’ll wear your silks.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t lead you astray.” She summoned a couple to them. “Gilda, Julius, some help, please.”

Gilda and Julius, who had been lazily watching from furs and cushions on the far wall, rose and came to Levania. “Kihyun, these are my Shia: Gilda and Julius. Loves, this is Kihyun, our guest. Don’t get any ideas. He belongs to Captain Son.”

Kihyun ran a hand down his face, not sure how it came to this. He was half-convinced he would wake up and find this was all a dream.

“So, Kihyun, is there a color the captain prefers on you?” Julius asked. 

“I don’t think so?” Kihyun said.

Gilda laughed. “If he’s anything like Levania, he prefers you in nothing at all. Isn’t that always the case with masters?”

“Gilda,” Levania chastised. “Kihyun’s not a Shia. It’s a little different.” She tilted her head. “Although,” she mused, “He is your captain, which is kind of like a master. He commands and you follow, right?”

“I try,” Kihyun said.

Levania winked conspiratorially. “I see. You’re one of the naughty ones. I do so love a naughty Shia. I bet he does, too.”

‘He really doesn’t,’ Kihyun thought bitterly.

“Let’s see what we’re working with,” Julius said, taking a hold of Kihyun’s shirt uniform and pulling it over his head.

Gilda pulled his pants and underwear down in one go, helping him step out of the clothing. They all backed up and looked at him. 

Kihyun was naked in a room full of strangers. Other Shia lounging about watched him curiously. He brought his arms down in front of him, attempting to keep some semblance of privacy.

“What do you think?” Levania asked them.

“That Captain Son’s a lucky man,” Julius said with a smile.

Gilda walked around him and ran a hand down his back. Kihyun jumped at the unexpected touch. “I’m jealous. Every inch of you is soft and smooth. Must be nice.” She went around to the front, examined his chocolate brown hair with her fingers, the color of his eyes, his skin. “I think a jewel tone. It is night after all. Ruby or sapphire?” She looked back at Levania for approval.

“Which would you prefer, Kihyun?”

“Sapphire?” He didn’t think he’d be comfortable in anything. He wasn’t worried about the color. He was worried about being covered. Julius was walking around topless. Gilda may as well be walking around topless.

Julius went to a wall lined with chemises, nighties and silks. 

“Not too skimpy,” Levania called after him. “Gilda, the oil, please.”

Gilda approached him with a glass vial filled with a sweet, citrus smelling oil. “It’s derranian oil,” she explained. “Native only to Terlesia. I’ll feed you some downstairs.” She poured some in her hands and ran her palms down his shoulders and arms.

“Oh. I can do it myself. You don’t have to,” Kihyun said with wide eyes.

“Nonsense. You’re our guest,” Levania said. “It brings them pleasure to serve you.”

Gilda took care massaging the oil into his body with long, smooth strokes. Kihyun’s face was on fire, not because he was turned on, her touches weren’t sexual, but because she was very thorough. She didn’t miss one centimeter of him. No place was beyond her reach.

Levania nodded approvingly at Gilda’s technique. “Would you like Julius to prepare your channel? He’s very good at it. I’m certain the captain won’t be able to keep his hands off you for long.”

“No!” Kihyun said a little too quickly.

Levania raised a brow and Gilda snickered.

“I mean, the captain prefers to do it himself.”

“Ah,” Levania responded knowingly. “Good man.”

“Try these on,” Julius got on his knees and helped him into the shorts. The very short shorts. Kihyun wasn’t going to lie. They felt amazing. The silky, whispery material fluttered around the tippy tops of his thighs and the dark sapphire contrasted quite nicely with his skin.

“Arms up,” Julius asked, pulling a matching chemise down over his head. Julius stepped back with a satisfied grin. “I have to confess. It is female attire, but you look too good in it.” He turned to Levania. “What do you think?”

“You are a piece of art, Kihyun. It’s true, male Shia do not wear tops, but you look delectable in it. It’s a little taboo. Makes you all the more enticing.” She stepped in front of him and ran a finger down the deep sloping v of neckline. The breezy top tickled his skin teasingly.

Kihyun looked around. “I don’t suppose there is a mirror?”

“Shia do not look in mirrors. We rely on each other to prepare one another for our masters. Trust us, we’ve spent our lives training for both the carnal arts and the art of beauty. We won’t let you down,” Julius said.

Shock read on Kihyun’s face. “You mean you’ve never seen yourselves?”

Gilda laughed. “Of course, we’ve seen ourselves, kitten. There are mirrors in other rooms. Your room will have a mirror. In fact, nearly every room has mirrors. Masters like to watch us work from as many angles as possible. They are not present in here or in Shia quarters. It’s tradition. It promotes camaraderie and trust among each other or something like that.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I never paid much attention to book studies. Like Levania said, we like to serve, yearn for it. That includes our masters, our guests and each other.”

Gilda pulled him to a built-in table that ran the length of the back wall. Creams, brushes, paints and accessories decorated the ornate pearlescent table. Kihyun looked at the products longingly. Perhaps he could inquire about them tomorrow. 

Julius sharpened a pencil with a knife while Gilda smudged a berry-red paint onto his lips. She extended her hand to Kihyun. “Kiss the hand.”

Kihyun faltered momentarily, but kissed the back of her hand. The excess transferred to her skin. Gilda chucked him under the chin. “You’re practically one of us already.”

Julius came up to him. “Hold still.” He ran the pencil across his lash line with expert precision. 

“Perfect,” Levania said. “We just need one more touch.” She studied the accessories laid out before them. “Anything catch your eye, Kihyun?”

Everything, actually. He couldn’t help but stare at a simple, dainty black choker with a delicate silver chain that dropped from the center.

Levania noticed and picked it up. “I like your taste, Kihyun.” She fastened it around his neck, making sure she could fit a finger between it. The flimsy necklace chain ran down his chest, stopping just above the low v of the chemise. She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to see your captain’s reaction. Is he used to seeing you like this?”

“That would be a no,” he said. Kihyun’s nerves made themselves known again. Somewhere along the way of being primped and pampered, he’d gotten comfortable, enjoying the process, content to surrender himself to Gilda and Julius. Now, he remembered he was about to walk into a room full of people looking like a...well, looking like a Shia.

Lavania fretted. “Oh. You’re tense again. Don’t be, darling. You’ll be in your captain’s arms in a few moments. And, there’s a honey wine that will take care of your nerves in no time at all. Besides, the Shia may have gone down in their silks, but it won’t be long before they lose them. You won’t feel so underdressed.”

Kihyun looked at Gilda and Julius with wide eyes. Julius ruffled his hair with a chuckle. “Boy, are you in for the cultural awakening of a lifetime.”

What the hell was going on down there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is all over the place, but I had a blast writing it. There's kicking Minho out of the story, matchmaker Minhyuk, stern Captain, Kiho fuzzies, some world I randomly made up for the sole purpose of putting Kihyun in skimpy clothes. I'm new to this writing thing, but it's becoming more and more fun. I apologize for the sort-of, kind-of cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting to be too long.


	11. Terlesia-Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some rules are set in place and Hyunwoo is a damn tease.

Hyunwoo watched with trepidation as Levania pulled Kihyun up the stairs. What a fucking disaster. This trip was already spiraling out of control and if there was one thing he hated, it was not being in control. He needed to retreat with Changkyun and figure this out, get some answers and some idea of what would be expected.

This venture was important to him. A mentor of his specifically nominated him to see this through and he wanted to deliver. On the whole, the Newton’s reputation was fine, but Hyunwoo himself dealt with a lot of shit behind the scenes. Other captains didn’t look at him the same, even after the investigation cleared him of any involvement with Hyolyn’s activities. Hyunwoo’s father didn’t understand how he couldn’t have known something was wrong with his girlfriend. The disappointment in his father’s eyes stung. But, if he could succeed where so many others had failed, it would be a start.

Hyunwoo knew he could easily pull off being Kihyun’s lover in front of the Terlesians. Fake relationships, seduction, it was a cakewalk for him. What worried him was, would Kihyun be able to do it? Would he even be willing to do it? Kihyun was an easy read. He walked around with his thoughts written clearly and legibly across his face. Hyunwoo liked that about him, but it wouldn’t do him any favors here if was feeling uncomfortable or freaked-out.

It _would_ help that Kihyun harbored an attraction towards him. Hyunwoo could play off that, milk it to their advantage. He wasn’t blind. He witnessed Kihyun’s wandering eyes on him in increasing frequency. That was good. They’d need that here. 

In addition, he was keenly aware of Kihyun’s weakness to his position. The way Kihyun’s breathing sped up when he thought he was in trouble. The way Kihyun braced himself in anticipation when Hyunwoo took charge. Well, if Kihyun liked that, he’d have no problem using those tools to make the man melt.

However, this was all assuming Kihyun wanted to play. Hyunwoo wouldn’t hold it against him if he didn’t. This was entirely unfair to Dr. Yoo, and moonlighting as fake lovers was not in his job description. He would give Kihyun the option to back out even if it dealt a critical blow to the mission.

There was no use in stressing about it right now. In times like these, the only way out was forward, and he wouldn’t know which way was forward until Kihyun returned. If Kihyun declined, then so be it. If Kihyun accepted, Hyunwoo would tell him to follow his lead and he would navigate them through the next few days. With a nod to himself, he followed the rest to the evening lounge.

When Hyunwoo heard ‘lounge,’ he was picturing a room with a few couches and chairs. Maybe some platters with refreshments. He could see that ‘lounge’ for Terlesians meant something entirely different. It was easily the size of two ballrooms. Gilded alcoves lined the walls. A few were swathed in fabric hangings for privacy. Couches, loveseats, groupings of furs and cushions were scattered about the floor. Courtiers and their Shia watched their entry in languorous repose before returning attention to their lovers. 

Hyunwoo sent up a quick prayer for Kihyun seeing what he was expected to wear. Shit. This trip may be over sooner than he thought. Most of the males wore silk loincloths. More like washcloths, in his opinion. Those serving food and drink wore sarongs. The females were dressed in nighties or bralets and panties. 

Hoseok came up next to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Have I told you lately how much I love my job?”

“Best mission ever,” Minhyuk agreed, scanning the room.

Ignatious led them to a fire pit surrounded by loveseats and large, plush chairs. Cushions were haphazardly thrown on the floors before each seat. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I need to speak with our Shia overseer for a moment.”

Hollyean followed Ignatious out.

And, then were six. Hyunwoo looked at Changkyun. “Counselor. For the love of god, advise me.”

Changkyun grimaced. “I, in no way expected us to be invited into a lounge. The fact that we’re in here at all bodes well for our purpose.”

“Changkyun. They could be back any minute,” Hyunwoo said.

“Right. At the end of the day, the thing that matters to them most is graciousness. It would be a slap to their faces if we refuse what they offer and gift us with. They are givers. At the last attempt by Starfleet, Ignatious brought three of his Shia and offered them to Captain Cristoff for the evening. He declined the offer. Ignatious left the next morning. Now, I’m not saying you can’t say no, but try and be smart about it. Having said that, this isn’t worth putting your values on the line. If you’re uncomfortable with-”

“Uncomfortable? This is awesome,” Jooheon said excitedly. 

“I second that notion,” Hyungwon said with a lazy smile.

Jooheon held up a finger. “So, just to make sure I’m on the same page here, if one of these lovely, lovely ladies want to give me something, I can accept? Receive whatever they want to give me?”

Changkyun nodded. “It is encouraged.”

“Anything?” Jooheon reiterated.

“Yes,” Changkyun said.

“So, like, if-” 

Changkyun rolled his eyes. “If what you’re trying to ask in the most roundabout way possible is, ‘Can I have sex?,’ then, yes, you may.”

Hoseok wrapped an arm Jooheon’s shoulder. “I don’t know, Jooheon. If you can’t even say it, I’m not sure you should be having it.”

Jooheon threw his hand off. “I can say sex. I just didn’t know if I was hearing the same thing the rest of you were. I’ll have you know, my sex life is thriving.”

“Awfully eager for someone whose sex life is supposedly thriving,” Hyungwon drawled.

“It is,” Jooheon enunciated angrily.

“Of course, it is, sweetheart,” Minhyuk soothed.

Hyunwoo shook his head and looked heavenward. “As your captain, I can’t tell you how I proud I am to see your values are led entirely by your dicks,” he said dryly. “By all means, accept what they offer if you would like, but do not forget why we are here. I expect you all to put your time in and charm Ignatious, his family, his council. Understood?”

There was a resounding chorus of ‘Yes, Captain.’

Minhyuk took Changkyun’s wrist in his hand. “Changkyun, what about Ki?” Minhyuk looked around worriedly, a guilty wrinkle settling between his brows. “I didn’t think he’d be walking around in one of those pieces of scraps. He’s probably freaking out. If he’s being marked as a Shia, are people going to go after him? If some stranger touches him, I swear to God, I will burn this place to the ground.”

Changkyun took Minhyuk’s hand and patted it, reassuring him. “He’s not in any danger. Ironically, he’ll be the only one exempt from anyone’s advances. In their eyes, Kihyun belongs to Captain. The Shia that will undoubtedly approach us belong to other people, but they’ve been given permission to welcome guests. It’s expected. Technically speaking, Captain could gift him to someone, but we all know that is out of the question.”

Hyunwoo paled at the thought. “I’d like to keep my balls intact.”

“Kihyun’s in a precarious position. While they know he isn’t Shia, they can’t help but see him in that light. As we’ve seen from Hollyean and Levania, they are already treating him as one. Hyunwoo is a man of power. If Kihyun’s not the captain’s husband, then, by all accounts, he must be his Shia. That’s the way it works here. This is going to be Kihyun’s biggest challenge. Shia aren’t meek or timid, but they are subservient. And, very affectionate.”

Changkyun gestured to the room at large. “Look around. See how warmly they look at and touch their masters? It’s a kind of love. Even when they’re putting on a show, like those two making out, they keep looking back at their master. It’s for their master. If Kihyun appears cold or unattentive, they will judge Hyunwoo for it. They will assume Captain is unable to satisfy him, is unkind to him, unable to make him happy. In short, they won’t like Captain Son, who is representing the Federation. The moment Kihyun returns, this needs to be conveyed. Here, relationships aren’t private, they’re meant to be shown and shared.”

He looked at Hyunwoo nervously. “I’m not saying you need to throw him down and have your way with him. They wouldn’t expect that from Earthlings, nor would they ask it. But, if you two can emulate a loving relationship, it will go a long way in showing what kind of man you are. If you can emulate a sexual relationship, all the better. In Terlesia, a man’s worth can be measured by the level of interest they receive from a lover. It is part of the reason they are so public about it. In a weird way, this little misunderstanding could be a blessing in disguise if you play your parts right.”

‘Little misunderstanding?’ Hyunwoo thought. He’d classify this as more than a little snag in their plans.

Changkyun looked around. “Now, we all look like a bunch of gossiping schoolgirls huddled around each other like this. Sit back. Relax. Wait for our hosts to return.”

Hyunwoo sat down in the loveseat, stretching his legs out before him. They made aimless conversation and talked for a while, mostly observations about the lounge. His face didn’t show it, but he was starting to worry. Kihyun looked trapped and uncomfortable as Levania pulled him up the stairs. That was twenty minutes ago. How long did it take change? He looked around at the Shia in the room and frowned. How long did it take to put on a washcloth? Maybe he was up there having a panic attack or, more likely, throwing a fit over the wardrobe. He vowed to do whatever he could to make Kihyun as comfortable as possible.

Ignatious and Hollyean returned with a swarm of Shia. The two settled in a chair, Hollyean on her husband’s lap. Some of the Shia sat at their feet. One gracefully distributed wine among them and placed one amber filled glass on a sidetable next to Hyunwoo. She smiled sweetly at him. “It is for your Kihyun.”

“Ah. Thank you,” Hyunwoo said, not really understanding.

“It’s Terlesia’s honey wine, reserved only for Shia. It goes back to the beginning of our written history. At that time, during the reign of our third king, a plague swept through the kingdom, decimating our population. Those within the palace grounds remained unharmed. The king was in despair. There were not enough people to work the farmlands or tend to livestock. Famine gripped the kingdom. Seeing how unhappy their master was, the Shia left the palace. They took up hoes, rakes and scythes and set about restoring the lands. But, before they could harvest the first yield of crops, the Shia became weak. Then one day, a young Shia came across a bee hive while filling a water bucket. She called her weary sisters and brothers and they took down the hive, feasting and gaining strength from the golden honey. It is said they lived off nothing but honey for months. Through it, they were able to restore the land and when they returned to their king, he declared that all honey born from Terlesia shall be gifted to the Shia for their unerring love and devotion.”

Ignatious shrugged good-naturedly. “Or, so the story goes. Of course, now, honey is for anyone, but this wine remains forbidden to anyone but them. It’s a time-honored tradition. It gives them strength, you could say.”

Hollyean looked at them apologetically. “You’re getting old, dear. Don’t bore them with such things. Look where we are, I don’t think they’re interested in a history lecture.” 

“I minored in History and Folklore. I quite liked it Ignatious,” Hoseok said.

Ignatious smacked Hollyean’s hip playfully. “See? A strapping young man finds my stories entertaining.” Ignatious looked at Hoseok. “If you like stories, I will gift you my Veigh tonight, she tells the prettiest stories with the prettiest lips.”

Hoseok blushed. “You’re too kind. I should love to meet Veigh.”

Two Shia on the floor before Jooheon had discarded his shoes and socks, massaging his feet. They stared up at him sinfully with teasing smiles. They were obviously quite skilled because whatever they were pressing and rubbing had Jooheon blushing, mouth slack.

Hyunwoo smothered a laugh at the faces Jooheon was making and looked away. It seemed they would be learning a lot about each other tonight. If nothing else, they could consider this an exercise in team bonding.

“Hyunwoo, I don’t like to talk politics in the lounge, but just to run through tomorrow. I’d like all of you to sleep in. You never know how tonight will turn out. Shia take pride in wearing you out. I’ll have breakfast sent to your rooms. Once you’re rested, refreshed, I’d like to take you all on a tour of the palace grounds. After lunch, you, Dr. Im and I can talk. Perhaps the others would like to visit the hot springs or hike one of our mountains? Visit the market?”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Very well. We look forward to it. From the lounge alone, I can see you have a beautiful kingdom.”

Hollyean eyed Jooheon warily. “My loves, stop teasing. Why don’t you take Jooheon somewhere more private? It’s early for a show of that nature. Our guests haven’t even eaten yet.” 

The duo hopped up eagerly and pulled Jooheon up to stand. With one hand in each of theirs, they pulled him away.

“The newly initiated are always so eager. They haven’t honed the art of a slow game yet,” she laughed.

Ignatious side eyed her. “Neither have you, my love.”

Hollyean pursed her lips and lifted her head haughtily, but it was a show.

Hyunwoo smiled. They reminded him of his parents in some ways, always teasing, playfully bickering. He looked down in thought, swirling the wine around the glass.

Poor father, losing the love of his life so early. It was hard to see his father now, the light in his eyes dim without his mother, even four years later. When he was younger, and he saw his parents outside of home, he used to think they were scary. They were strict, resolute and emanated such authority. It was required of them. At home though, that persona was left at the door and all that remained was a loving husband and wife, a nurturing father and mother. They used to talk about retiring, living on a beach somewhere. Now, that happy ending would never happen for his father.

It pained Hyunwoo to see him trapped in grief. Alone, his father didn’t know how to leave that formidable persona at the door. He kept it on at all times like an armor. It was taking a toll on him and their relationship.

Guilt crept up when he thought about how long it’s been since they were in the same room. Not since he took command of the Newton. He had opportunities to visit, but he used the ship and his position as an excuse not to go. His father knew it, too. He didn’t want to walk into that house where the absence of his mother was keenly felt. But, he could only make excuses for so long. This Christmas, he promised his father he would come home, and he never broke a promise.

He was pulled out of his reverie as more Shia joined them, each with a plate, and sat down next to them or in their laps. 

One came around to his other side. “I’m Lena,” she said to him, sitting down in the small space beside him. “May I serve you?” 

Hyunwoo looked down at the plate of fruit and buttery bite-sized pieces of bread in her ringed hands. “Thank you, Lena.”

He gave her his attention, glad for the distraction she provided, letting her hand feed him the morsels. As she fed him, her fingers grazed across his lips and moved across his jaw and down neck in delicate touches. It was nice, her sweet attention. It had been a few weeks since he’d been with anyone. If it weren’t for his and Kihyun’s situation, he’d readily let Lena attend him all night. She put the half-eaten plate to the side and sidled up close to him. “I’ll keep you warm until your Kihyun arrives,” she said. Her left hand roamed his body, feeling his chest and stomach before settling on his thigh, running her hand up and down the inseam.

Putting an arm around her back and relaxing into her touch, he spent his time studying how the courtiers acted with their Shia. Lena may have fed him, but just as many masters were feeding their Shia, who were either tucked close to their sides, at their feet or on their laps. They engaged in conversation, occasionally leaning forward to whisper something into their ears, resulting in gratified smiles and twinkling eyes. Some lazily kissed, in no hurry for it lead anywhere, and others stretched out on the furs with wandering, loving hands. As long as he kept Kihyun glued to him, he didn’t think anything could go wrong.

Minhyuk and the young man on his lap were giggling when Hoseok let out a piercing, catcalling whistle, a megawatt smile stretching across his face. 

Hyunwoo turned in his seat.

_Jesus Christ._ Kihyun.

Hyunwoo sat stunned, at a loss. Kihyun’s skin glowed in the warm light of the lounge. Hyunwoo would have described him as ethereal if it weren’t for the awkward way he was standing, hands not sure where to rest under everyone’s scrutiny.

His eyes traveled up the smooth, lithe legs before the dark blue bottoms cut him off. The shorts flared up at the sides and offered a glimpse of the curve of his ass. The way Kihyun continuously shifted caused the material to glide over his cock. Hyunwoo never wanted to see it more than in that moment. Under a skimpy, loose cropped cami, Kihyun’s lower belly was on display, just past his belly button. The hem of the top fluttered about him and teased with shots of milky skin higher still. The v of the cami settled low on his chest and Hyunwoo was taken in by his graceful collar bones. A slight red burned the man’s cheeks as he looked back at them, never quite meeting their eyes.

Levania clapped her hands excitedly. “That is just the reaction I was hoping for, Captain. You’re speechless.” She pushed Kihyun in front of him for his appraisal, hooking a chin over the doctor’s shoulder and firmly holding his arms in place at his sides as Kihyun kept trying to move them in front to hide his exposed stomach. “What do you think?” Levania asked.

Hyunwoo took a breath, licking his lips. Kihyun finally met his eyes. It always astounded him how Kihyun remained forever single on the ship and why there weren’t men knocking on his door at least trying. It probably had to do with his ‘get out of my fucking way’ demeanor when he was working, which was always. He earned a chilly reputation. Look when he’s not looking, but definitely don’t touch. However, anyone who was privileged enough to know him knew it was the opposite. He was warm with a tendency to boil over at the slightest provocation.

He didn't know what it said about him that he was happy the only crew present were the man’s very platonic friends. Kihyun, presented like this, was meant for a lover’s eyes, somewhere private, not for all these people to covet. Kihyun’s arrival garnered avid interest from beyond their intimate circle. The craning necks and hushed chatter that filled the hall darkened his mood. His brows flattened angrily before he could think better of it.

Levania, astute as ever, guessed his thoughts. “They stare because his silks are unusual. Kihyun was nervous about wearing the traditional male attire, so we put him in this. They’ve never seen a male dressed thusly. Is it not to your taste?”

Hyunwoo swallowed. “He’s lovely.” He met Kihyun’s eyes. “You’re lovely.”

Kihyun looked down, but his lips lifted in a small smile.

Levania beamed. “Thank you for being such a good sport about it, Kihyun. It means more than you know. When others learn about our customs, they think us heathens and slaveholders.”

Kihyun rushed to disagree, wanting to reassure her. “Oh, no. In my short time here, watching you with Gilda and Julius, I can see it’s not like that at all.”

Ignatious nodded approvingly. “It’s a choice they make and a choice they can unmake at anytime as well. Like going to school for medicine, it is the craft they’ve chosen, and it is one we respect and cherish very much. It pleases me to see you adopt our ways so willingly, Kihyun, even if you’re feeling shy about it. It speaks well of you and your people.”

Hyunwoo and Changkyun shared a secret, victorious smile. As much as Dr. Yoo made him want to pull out his hair at times, and he took make major issue with his disregard to protocol, Kihyun is and always has been a huge credit to the ship. Here he is proving it yet again.

Changkyun coughed, getting Hyunwoo’s attention. With a quick tilt of the head in Kihyun’s direction, Changkyun urged him to take charge.

Lena was still beside him, so Hyunwoo reached out and took Kihyun’s wrist, pulling him forward and onto his thigh. Kihyun’s bottoms rose up even higher and his naked legs rested between his. The silk strings holding his top up were tied in a simple, skinny bow atop each shoulder. He felt an inexplicable urge to lean forward pull them undone with his teeth.

Kihyun shifted on his thigh and Hyunwoo sighed at Kihyun’s posture. He was rigid, both hands tightly fisted at the tops of his thighs.

Hyunwoo guided Kihyun’s ear to his mouth. “Relax. We’re lovers, remember?” He paused. “If you don’t want to do this, now is the time to say something. I won’t be angry or hold it against you. If we don’t succeed this time, there’s always next time. But, I need to know now. How you and I interact is important. They want to see it. If you can’t do this, you can claim a headache and retire for the night. We’ll figure out a reason for you to return to the ship in the morning.”

Kihyun’s heart pounded. The surreal situation he found himself in, Hyunwoo’s breath tickling his ear and his large hand searing through the silk at his side left him faint. He was determined to clear his desk before he left with everyone and he hadn’t eaten all day. He regretted it now. If he swooned tonight, he’d throw himself off the nearest tower.

Before descending the stairs moments ago, he came to terms with the unexpected arrangement. This was important. Kihyun found that he wanted this win for the Newton as much as everyone else and, selfishly, he would have Hyunwoo’s attention. Not as a captain, not as a friend, but as a man. 

For a few moments, before walking into the lounge and bolstered by Gilda’s and Julius’ compliments, he felt confident. Now that the game was underway, doubts clouded his mind. A part of him did want to tuck tail and run back to the ship. Yes, he would have Hyunwoo’s attention, but at what cost? What about those feelings he’d been avoiding? It would be pretty fucking hard to avoid them in Hyunwoo’s lap.

Maybe Hyunwoo was thinking of this as taking one for the team. Maybe playing out this farce was just another day to the captain. Well, he mused, there was nothing wrong with those thoughts, but they certainly didn’t apply to Kihyun. There was no way he could be neutral about this. He couldn’t ‘fake’ the want. The want was already there. He might take things too far and embarrass himself, spoiling their budding friendship. Or, Hyunwoo the Captain might take offense at Kihyun’s obvious desire for him. Popping a boner in your captain’s lap seemed like it would qualify as impertinent behavior. This was supposed to be an act after all.

When did his life get so complicated? His eyes sought out Minhyuk, who was watching him apprehensively, even as a man nibbled at his neck. The beautiful thing about best friends? Nothing needed to be explained; they just knew. Sympathy filled Minhyuk’s eyes even as he smiled at him. His lips formed the words, ‘Don’t be scared.’

With an infinitesimal nod, Kihyun sealed his fate. He slid off Hyunwoo’s thigh and into the space between them, pulling the captain’s arms around him.

Hyunwoo breathed a sigh of relief. For a brief moment, he thought Kihyun was going to run. He hugged Kihyun’s back closer to him before pressing a kiss to his head. He settled his hands against Kihyun’s stomach. The man’s belly fluttered against his fingers at the contact. Interesting. 

Lena transferred her hand from Hyunwoo’s thigh to Kihyun’s, stroking up the smooth skin. He jumped in Hyunwoo’s arms. Lena giggled charmingly, turning away momentarily, before returning to Kihyun again. She took a sip from Kihyun’s glass and tilted his head back, fingers caressing his jaw and neck, waiting for him to open. On an exhale, his mouth opened, and she opened her mouth over him, releasing the wine past his lips. He swallowed and Lena licked at the corners of his mouth, where some had escaped.

She placed the glass into his fingers. “So shy. You are a healer, yes? You have the eyes of one accustomed to caring for others. Like me. Like us. Let us, let your captain, care for you tonight. Drink, enjoy it, relax into it. Forget your worries. We have you. Your master has you.”

Kihyun took a sip of the honey wine and Lena smiled winningly. She pulled Hyunwoo’s hand away from his stomach and placed the half-eaten plate of fruit and bread into his hand. With one last caress up Kihyun’s thigh, she rose and joined Minhyuk.

An embarrassingly loud grumble emitted from his stomach. Hyunwoo felt it vibrate through his fingers. Kihyun closed his eyes in shame, face coloring. 

Hyunwoo chuckled. “Hungry?” He looked at Minhyuk reproachfully. “Dr. Lee, isn’t it your duty to make sure he eats? I thought you prided yourself on it. You said he would have wasted away at the Academy if it weren’t for you.”

Kihyun scoffed.

Minhyuk shrugged. “He was a force to be reckoned with today, Sir. Hooked his feet around the chair and wouldn’t budge. I did try. Got the bite mark to prove it.”

“You realize I’m right here,” Kihyun complained. “I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”

“So you’ve told me,” Hyunwoo said hotly into his ear.

Kihyun fought a shiver.

Levania, who settled on the floor cushions with Julius at their right, grinned up at Hyunwoo. “I’ve gathered from Kihyun that he isn’t always a very good boy for you.”

“He has his moments.”

“And when he’s naughty, what do you do?”

Kihyun’s lips thinned. “Again, I’m right here.”

“My apologies, Kihyun. You are so right. So, what does Captain Son do when you’re being a bad boy.”

“Well, um...chores,” Kihyun said lamely.

“But, it doesn’t have much of an impact on his behavior. Isn’t that right, baby?” Hyunwoo nuzzled into Kihyun’s neck. He looked back at Levania conspiratorially. “Perhaps you have some pointers?”

Levania smirked. She moved to her knees before Kihyun and spread his legs wide apart, which had been tightly clamped together this whole time. She wrapped the delicate chain around her finger and pulled him forward. “Here, we bend them over and spank them until they can’t count anymore.”

Hyungwon barked out a laugh.

Kihyun swallowed audibly and Levania smiled at Hyunwoo over his shoulder. “I think he likes that.” With a wink at Kihyun, she withdrew, and Kihyun promptly squeezed his legs back together.

Levania tilted Julius’ chin up. “You’ll get to see it in action real soon, Kihyun. Isn’t that right, Julius?”

Julius colored and responded, “Yes.”

Hyunwoo maneuvered Kihyun sideways in the space between his legs, draping the bare legs over one thigh. His dainty feet settled on the soft couch.

Kihyun looked up at Hyunwoo. “Where is Jooheon?”

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Thriving.”

“Oh,” he said with a slight wrinkle between his brows, not understanding.

Hyunwoo picked up a buttery morsel of bread from the plate at his side and brought it to Kihyun’s berry tinted lips.

Kihyun’s heart turned over as his damnable blush returned yet again. In Kihyun’s new position, only Hyungwon and the Shia attending him remained in his line of sight. Hyungwon made a saucy show of gobbling the air before him. _Fucking Hyungwon._

With a stuttering heart, he wrapped his lips around the proffered bite and tucked his chin down as he chewed. His eyes widened in delight and shot back up to Hyunwoo.

“That good, hmm?” He teased.

Kihyun nodded and reached for the plate. Hyunwoo pulled him back in place by the back of his choker. Fuck, if he didn’t feel that down his entire body.

“Uh-uh. How often do I get to spoil you? Let me have this.” He brought another piece to his lips and Kihyun took it into his mouth.

Ignatious moved to sit in the space beside Hyunwoo and moved Kihyun’s feet to rest on his lap. “How long have you two been together?”

Hyunwoo paused with another bite of bread in his fingers, considering. Kihyun looked at it longingly. “Only a couple months,” Hyunwoo lied. “It was a long time coming though.”

He caught Kihyun’s lingering eyes on the bread. “You want this?” he asked, taking it closer to Kihyun, but not close enough to eat it. 

“Yes,” Kihyun said testily.

Hyunwoo clucked his tongue. “See? You’re angry. This is what happens when you skip meals.” He brought the bread close to his mouth and when Kihyun leaned forward, he pulled it out of reach again. Kihyun looked at him with frustrated eyes, unable to lose his temper with Ignatious watching them so closely.

Hyunwoo returned his stare with gleaming eyes before finally taking pity on him and pushing the bread into his mouth. His thumb drew down on Kihyun’s bottom lip as he pulled away. Kihyun’s sudden gasp didn’t escape his notice. 

Was it wrong of him to want to play with him a little? Actually, it probably was, but he didn’t care enough to stop. He never claimed to be perfect. Also, this is what young lovers did. They teased.

Ignatious smiled. “A young love, then. Try the derranian.”

Hyunwoo took the small, peeled pink segment between his thumb and forefinger to Kihyun. The man opened his lips, pink tongue waiting softly for it in his mouth. He slightly leaned forward for it. Hyunwoo traced the fruit around his expectant lips, enjoying the way they glistened in its wake. He slid it into his mouth and watched him chew the segment, swallowing down the sweet juices.

“Good?” Hyunwoo asked innocently. 

Kihyun swallowed one last time and licked the juice off his lips. He nodded.

Hyunwoo also never claimed to be a saint. He waved his sticky forefinger and thumb in front of Kihyun with a raised brow. Kihyun went adorably red at the silent question. Bringing his index finger just before his lips, he stopped expectantly, waiting for Kihyun to come to him. This would be a good test of what Kihyun would and would not allow him to get away with tonight. Kihyun shifted forward slightly and wrapped his lips around the tip of his finger, quickly and efficiently licking the stickiness off the pad before pulling off. Hyunwoo smiled.

This time, he brought his thumb to Kihyun’s mouth, pushing past his opening lips. Kihyun laved at the pad. Again, cleaning efficiently and quickly. Before he could pull back, Hyunwoo pushed down on his tongue and Kihyun shuddered, swallowing around the thumb involuntarily. The rest of his fingers curved under his chin and jaw. Hyunwoo could feel the saliva pooling in his mouth and he massaged his thumb across the tongue with a slight pressure. An almost imperceptible mewl escaped Kihyun that Hyunwoo’s cock took interest in. He finally pulled his thumb out, wet from saliva. Kihyun swallowed, half hiding his face by turning his head into Hyunwoo’s shirt.

‘Shit,’ Kihyun thought. Hyunwoo wasn’t playing around and he really couldn’t afford to get hard or wet in this getup. It wouldn't be so bad if his friends weren't here to witness his impending humiliation. 

“Still shy, I see,” Ignatious chuckled. “Here, affection and ardor are exalted. Displaying those sacred acts is a declaration of love, not only between lovers, but to those who are honored to see it. Do you never show your love in public, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun stopped hiding, giving Ignatious his attention. “No, never. He’s the captain. It would be unprofessional.”

“Then, here’s your chance to throw out the rules. To let everyone know he is yours and you are his. For him to show his claim on you. Wouldn't you like that?”

Kihyun was feeling awfully fluttery.

Ignatious gripped Kihyun’s foot lightly. “You don’t respond, but I can see from your eyes you are intrigued. You wonder what it would be like for him to take you under the eyes of everyone. I will tell you. When a Shia prostrates himself or herself before a master in the lounge, they are offering the greatest gift. They are allowing their master to prove themselves in front of their peers. A master who cannot satisfy their Shia is not a master at all. It can make or break a man. One does not become a member of the court without proving themselves thusly. It is not a matter of completion, that is easy. It is a matter of performance. It is the Shia collectively who decide whether the man has proven himself and earned a spot at the table. That is why our lounges are sacred. This room is a rite of passage for many.”

Ignatious grinned widely. “How do you think your captain measures up? Should you give him a chance to prove himself?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened.

Ignatious chuckled fondly. “Fear not, Dr. Yoo. I am teasing. There are no expectations. We only want all of you to have a good time.” 

Kihyun laughed nervously and reached for his drink, taking a big gulp, then another one.

Ignatious caught his hand when he was about to take yet another drink. “Slow down. It may not taste like it, but it packs quite a punch. It is meant to drink slowly, over a long period of time.” 

Kihyun nodded, letting Ignatious set it on a side table.

Ignatious stood up. “Now, I apologize Kihyun, but I am going to steal your captain for a few minutes.” He looked at Hyunwoo. “Just some informal introductions to members of my council, who will be present tomorrow. Dr. Im?”

“Absolutely.” Changkyun extricated himself from Julius, the Shia had taken quite a liking to him, and stood.

Kihyun moved to the empty space left by Ignatious so that Hyunwoo could get up. 

Hyunwoo placed the plate on Kihyun’s lap. “Be a good boy and finish before I get back.” 

With a nod to Ignatious, they left.

Kihyun finally dared a glance at the others. They were staring at him. “What?” He said moodily.

Hoseok grinned. “Nothing. That shade of red you’re sporting is very becoming.” 

Hyungwon laughed. “Any redder and the ship will think we’ve sent up a flare.”

“Knock it off, you two. Don't pay attention to them. You look beautiful, Ki,” Minhyuk said.

“Divine, Kihyun,” Levania seconded. “You know, father likes you. He talks to you with the same tone he uses to talk to me. That’s quite a feat. Underneath that jovial exterior of his, he’s actually horrendously picky.”

“I daresay you’ve become your captain’s good luck charm,” Hollyean said.

Kihyun smiled shyly at them, a small glimmer of pride burning in him. That his presence was helping Hyunwoo and the Newton on a diplomatic mission of all things? It felt good. He craved Captain’s approval after that tongue-lashing earlier this week.

Kihyun dutifully and happily ate the remaining fruit and bread, even more delicious when he wasn’t distracted by Hyunwoo’s fingers. He watched the captain’s and Changkyun’s slow progress around the lounge. A few minutes? They’d be lucky if they returned within the hour.

He slowly took baby sips from the wine, pacing himself as instructed. He enjoyed watching his friends interact with the Shia. He was starting to get a picture of what ‘thriving’ meant. The circle was having a good time, relaxed smiles, laughs, kisses.

A beautiful woman with pale-green hair was whispering into Hoseok’s ear for sometime now and Hoseok listened with rapt attention, completely unaware of anyone else around them.

Minhyuk had Lena’s and another man’s attention, both impatiently waiting for their turn to kiss him. Min hardly had a moment to breathe between each tender assault.

The young man attending Hyungwon removed the top of his uniform, leaving him in a white sleeveless undershirt. He sat behind Hyungwon and massaged his shoulders while another Shia sat between his legs and massaged his thighs. Kihyun couldn’t tell if he was slipping away into sleep or just completely blissed-out.

He was slightly jealous. All the touching and affection playing out before him and here he was alone on a loveseat. In a strange way, being handcuffed to the captain saved him. As much as wanted to be touched, to feel what they were feeling, he didn’t think he’d be able to do any of those things with the Shia. Lena momma birding him was about as much as he could take from someone he didn’t know.

He closed his eyes. If he listened carefully, he could hear what the woman, Veigh, was saying to Hoseok. A story about a canary trying to find his way home.

Now that some time had passed, he was beginning to feel it. A warmth that suffused through his body and melted his limbs. He reveled in the way the loveseat felt against his skin, and he idly dragged his fingers back and forth over the velvet-like armrest. The warmth from the fire licked deliciously against his outstretched legs and his toes curled into the fur below his feet. The way the silk rustled against his skin at the slightest movement was drugging. He purposefully shifted in his seat just to feel it.

He lazily took another sip of wine. He hadn’t felt this good in ages. He wondered why he was so worked up about this earlier. Who cares? Everything would be fine. Everything was fine.

“You doin’ good, babe?” Minhyuk asked, both concerned and amused.

“Mmhmn,” he replied spreading his arms across the back of the couch and tilting his head back against it.

“That would be the honey wine talking. Gilda, be a dear and take the glass away from him,” Levania asked.

Gilda crawled over to him and pried the precariously tipped glass from his fingers. Kihyun frowned and the followed the retreating glass with his mouth. “One more,” he pleaded.

Gilda looked back at Levania.

Levania sighed. “The damage is already done, I think. Go ahead.”

Gilda tipped the glass against his lips, allowing a small sip, before finishing the remaining three sips herself.

“Gilda,” Kihyun said dreamily, taking hold of her hand. “Do you know you have hair the color of Chloroflexus aurantiacus?”

Minhyuk chortled. “Ki, ladies generally don’t like being compared to bacteria.”

His hair swooshed as he shook his head in protest. “No. It’s beautiful. It’s like...It’s like the ocean, when the sunlight hits it just so.” He tilted his head, imagining it.

“Oh, kitten.” She looked at him almost pityingly. “Let’s get you some water.”

“I like when you call me kitten.” Kihyun brought the back of her hand to his cheek, enjoying the way it felt as he rubbed against it.

“Kitten, huh?” came a deep voice.

Hyunwoo watched as Kihyun peered up at him with half-lidded eyes, a happy smile growing. “Captain.”

Gilda released her hand from Kihyun’s hold. She put a hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder, sizing him up. She nodded, pleased with what she saw. “You appear to be a man of endurance and stamina.”

“Uh, thank you,” Hyunwoo said.

Hyunwoo retook his seat, pulling Kihyun onto his lap. This time, Kihyun practically melted into him, immediately settling his head onto his shoulder, lips brushing his neck. Kihyun’s left arm was trapped against him, but his right hand was very interested in his uniform. Hand sliding up his chest, across his shoulder and down his arm on repeat. 

“You’re feeling real good, aren’t you?” Hyunwoo asked, a laugh in his voice.

Kihyun’s lips smiled against his neck. “ _You_ feel real good.”

Hyungwon shook his head, enjoying in the show. “This is better than the movies.”

Minhyuk beamed.

“How much did you have to drink while I was gone?” Hyunwoo asked, baffled at Kihyun’s complete about-face.

Kihyun’s head popped up, and he looked at him earnestly. “Just the one. Gilda took it away from me.”

“I think that was probably very smart,” Hyunwoo said.

Hyunwoo received the water and brought it to Kihyun’s lips. “Drink.”

Kihyun acquiesced, putting his hands around the glass and drinking the whole thing. It cooled and soothed his throat. He wished there was more.

“Good boy.”

“Do you trust me yet?” Kihyun asked, as serious as one can sound while drunk.

Hyunwoo inwardly winced. Not so plastered he’d forgotten about that set-down, it seemed. He couldn’t think of anything to say. Thankfully, Kihyun appeared to forget he asked it in the first place, content to return his head to his shoulder and feel up his arm with squeezes and tip-toeing fingers.

A few council members joined their circle. They conversed and shared stories over wine and more food. Raucous laughter littered the conversations, which somehow always erred to bawdy. Hyunwoo looked on proudly as each crew member held their own, entertaining as much as being entertained. Minus Jooheon, he corrected. Thriving, indeed. And, minus Kihyun, who was too enthralled with the texture of his uniform.

He could tell the moment Kihyun began to sober up. His thighs, stomach and chest feeling the tenseness return to Kihyun’s body. He didn’t move or pull away at least. In all honesty, Hyunwoo preferred it this way. He felt better acting with a consenting, alert Kihyun. 

“Better?” he asked quietly among the din of conversation.

“Yes,” Kihyun said.

A moment passed with Kihyun still resting his head on his shoulder.

“Can I get up? It’s kind of hot.” Kihyun murmured into his ear.

Hyunwoo pulled back to look at him. Kihyun did look hot, slightly red with a damp hairline. Hyunwoo pulled him up to stand along with him, hanging onto his waist until Kihyun got his feet under him.

“We’re going to get some air,” Hyunwoo said.

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” a council member joked. 

Hyunwoo smiled as if they were caught and held Kihyun’s clammy hand.

“Don’t be too long. You’ll miss the fun,” Hollyean advised.

Hyunwoo nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Hollyean shooed them away with a graceful hand.

Hyunwoo took them to a long table with food and drink on the opposite end of the lounge. He poured Kihyun another glass of water. “Are you unwell?”

“No. I think it was just the combination of the fire, the wine and the... body heat. I’m already feeling better.”

Hyunwoo couldn’t determine if he was telling the truth. His eyes held an almost glassy sheen to them and he was still red.

Kihyun laughed dismissively even as he dabbed a napkin at his forehead. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine. I had too much to drink, that’s all.” Kihyun smiled at him. “It’s nice to get away for a minute, isn’t it?”

Hyunwoo relaxed. “Yes. It’s almost too much merriment in a four-meter radius. Exhausting.”

“You must be tired of me taking up residence in your lap.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t say that. You are a delightful lapful, _kitten_ ,” he teased.

Kihyun bit his lip in distress. “Oh, god. Can we forget about that?”

“Nope. My memory is flawless. ‘Kitten’ is yet another one being thrown into the Yoo box.”

“The Yoo box?” Kihyun smiled. “I shudder to think what’s in there.”

Hyunwoo smirked as he put a couple tartlets on a napkin and handed them to Kihyun. He made a show of eyeing him up and down just to make him nervous. “I’ll tell you one thing. Your box is getting awfully full tonight.”

Kihyun choked on air. Did the captain even know what that meant? He looked at Hyunwoo. Yes, he definitely did judging by the grin on his face. “Oh, really?! Like what?” Kihyun demanded. 

“You’re very sensitive,” he said.

“I am not,” Kihyun argued.

Hyunwoo carried on like he didn’t hear him. “At first, I thought it was just your tummy. The slightest touch against your belly had you practically vibrating out of your skin.”

Kihyun popped the cherry tart into his mouth. “That’s an exaggeration,” he said as chewed behind his hand. “Besides, everybody has their weak spots.”

Hyunwoo picked up a glass of wine. “Oh, no, no, no.” He shook his head. “If you recall, I said, ‘At first.’ Then, I noticed it doesn’t matter where you’re touched. Your neck, your back, your arms, your thighs and legs. Your whole body is one erogenous hotspot. I kept trying to find a place to rest my hands where you wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but it didn’t matter.”

Kihyun’s mouth fell open. Was it that noticeable? He thought he hid it better than that. “In my defense, it’s been a minute since I’ve been...intimate with someone. And, you shouldn’t sound so confident. Anybody could have elicited those reactions from me.”

Hyunwoo’s brows rose skeptically. “Really? Jooheon could have had you squirming?”

Kihyun’s face scrunched up. “Ew. Don’t make me gag. That’s incestuous.” He pointed a finger. “You know what I mean.”

“Hmmm.” Hyunwoo indulged him. “If you say so.”

“I do,” Kihyun insisted.

Hyunwoo took a sip of wine and considered the man before him. “So, when you say ‘a minute,’ how long are we talking?”

Kihyun shoved the other tartlet in his mouth and looked away.

“A few months?”

Kihyun closed his eyes, wishing he never said anything.

“Six?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun looked up at him, willing him to stop.

“Eight?” Hyunwoo guessed, incredulous.

Kihyun shook his head. He couldn’t believe this conversation was happening.

“No. Kihyun. A year?” Hyunwoo said, almost appalled.

Kihyun compressed his lips in a straight line. Hyunwoo didn’t have to sound so sorry for him.

Hyunwoo’s mouth opened in shock. “Oh, my god, Kihyun. How long has it been?”

Kihyun crumpled the napkin in his fist. “Not that it’s any of your business, but if it will stop this infernal line of questioning.....It’s now been one year and four months.” Kihyun shrugged his shoulders like it wasn’t a big deal. “It’s just a dry spell.”

“Kihyun, that is not a dry spell. That’s...” Hyunwoo didn’t know what to say. Kihyun was a sexual person. It surfaced in nearly every aspect of his life. The way he ate, the way he dressed, the way he danced, the way he looked at him. A celibate Kihyun was not a concept he ever considered. Kihyun liked men. Hell, Kihyun talked to him about men. He always assumed that part of his life was ongoing with gentlemen behind the scenes like Dongwook or Minho.

“Wow,” Hyunwoo continued. “I mean, do you not get enough time off? Is your work load getting in the way of you having a life? Kihyun, you have to exist outside of work or you’ll burn out.”

“It’s not like that. I have certain qualifications,” Kihyun explained.

“Like what? I’m sorry. I’m not saying any of this to make you feel bad, but what standards can you possibly have that you haven’t been able to find with all the places we go: starbases, cities all over the universe, conferences with your colleagues. There is no shortage of men at your fingertips.”

“I need a connection. We’re never anywhere long enough to make one. I don’t do anonymous or one-night stands. And-” Kihyun stopped. Why was he sharing all this? He realized they were talking like friends right now. Real friends. Hyunwoo was genuinely interested and concerned about him and Kihyun was sharing, opening up.

“And?” Hyunwoo encouraged.

“I need to trust them,” Kihyun said.

“Trust is important to you,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun nodded. “It’s important to you, too.”

“Yes, but why is it important to you?” he asked. The fact that Kihyun had to list trust as a standard for a lover at all pissed him off. It generally meant that trust was abused in the past.

Kihyun looked around, confirming he wouldn’t be overheard. “Um. Strictly confidential.” He licked his lips nervously. “I’ve never tried to explain this before, so I don’t really know how. When I’m with someone, not every time, but sometimes, I sort of lose a part of myself. Like, I’m feeling everything, but it’s almost too much sometimes and my mind just decides to take a back seat. There’s been a couple of times when others have taken advantage of that.”

Hyunwoo’s face darkened murderously.

Kihyun’s eyes widened, understanding, and he shook his hands frantically. “Oh! No! Not like you’re thinking.”

“Explain,” Hyunwoo said seriously, trying not to get worked-up. Someone wronged a member of his crew. Someone wronged Yoo Kihyun, who, temper issues aside, didn’t possess a mean bone in his body.

Kihyun twisted the crumpled napkin in his fingers. He never had to talk about this before, except with Minhyuk. He didn’t want to talk about it now. He was afraid he’d come off as some helpless, naïve man. However, Hyunwoo was looking at him with patience and understanding, even though he hadn’t said anything yet.

“Okay. Um. My first year at the Academy, I started seeing this guy. We were initially study buddies. He was great. We had a lot in common and it grew into something more. During one of those times when I wasn’t altogether there, he took pictures. A lot of them. Posted them on a forum.” Kihyun swallowed. “Anyway, Minhyuk called his parents and took care of it, the pictures and the guy. But, some people saw them before it was taken down.”

Kihyun didn’t explain the aftermath. How the next day he sat down in class just to find someone had poured water in his seat. How throughout the following week, among the crowded halls and campus walkways, some students used water guns to wet the front of pants.

“Why would he do that to you?” 

Kihyun bit his cheek. “I don’t know. The day before, class rankings were posted. I was at the top and he was nowhere near it. At least, that’s what Minhyuk thinks.”

“I’m sorry.” Hyunwoo could see it still bothered him.

Kihyun sipped his water and smiled too quickly to be believable. “It was a long time ago.”

“And the other time? You said a couple.”

“We should get back,” Kihyun said. “We’ve been gone a while now.”

“No,” Hyunwoo said, not having it. “If we go back right now, my mind will keep making up scenarios, each one worse than the last and I need my head on straight when we go back there.”

Kihyun sighed. “Fine.” Kihyun crossed his arms. “Third year at the Academy,-”

“Christ, they let anyone into the Academy these days.”

Kihyun rolled his eyes. “Third year at the Academy,” he repeated. “I was dating someone from Engineering. Six months in, he hosted a party with his flatmates. As the night wore on, we ended up in his bedroom and one thing led to another, as we’d done many times before. This time was different though. When it got to that point, when all I can do is feel and see and hear, he opened the door. I was out of it and didn’t notice at first. He returned to me quickly and continued. It wasn’t until afterwards I realized the door was open, that his roommates were inside the door watching, a couple even came inside, pulled up a chair to watch.”

Kihyun suddenly smiled. “I drew the sheet around me and drove my fists at him screaming. Suddenly, Jooheon burst in, never met him before, took one look at me, another look at him, and decked him. Out cold. With one look, Jooheon had the room and the hallway clear. Needless to say, I never saw him again. He and his flatmates were expelled.”

The pride he felt towards Jooheon was swallowed by the rage he felt against those pricks. “Again, why?”

Kihyun shrugged. “He was drunk? Not that it makes it okay. For transparency, I had confessed a certain interest in exhibition, but I never wanted it like that, against my knowledge, against my will. The sick thing is, I’m glad I didn’t know until the end. If I had seen them while in that state, there wouldn’t have been anything I could do. He was still making me feel so good and I don’t know how to pull myself out of it once I’m there. I would have been trapped, watching them watch me.”

Hyunwoo wanted to hit something, but this wasn’t the time or place. Instead, he pulled Kihyun into a hug, holding him tight, running his hand down the back of his head. Who wouldn’t have trust issues after something like that? Taking advantage of him when he couldn’t respond, refuse or fight.

Kihyun stretched his arms around Hyunwoo. It would look odd if he didn’t return it. “You know I’m okay, right? It was forever ago. I wasn’t hurt.” 

Hyunwoo continued to hug him. Kihyun laughed. “I’m a big boy. Why are you being like this?”

“They kicked you when you were down.”

Kihyun pushed him away from him. “You’re being kind of sweet right now, but let’s be clear. Just because I’m not some bulky He-Man like you, doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself. And, even if I can’t, I always bounce back. From anything. I don’t need your pity. You strong types always get like this.”

“Bulky He-Man?”

Kihyun ignored him.“I’m a decorated bad-ass doctor.” Kihyun backhanded Hyunwoo’s chest. “And, I didn’t get there on mommy’s and daddy’s coattails.”

Hyunwoo scoffed. ‘Coattails?’ He would argue that having two generals for parents made his education, training, responsibilities ridiculously difficult and riddled with impossible expectations, but Kihyun was just revving up.

“I got here through sleepless nights of studying and unyielding determination. There were nights I thought my eyes would bleed, but I didn’t stop. I’m the ‘best’ because I had to be the best. Nothing was handed to me.”

He wasn’t really sure how they got onto this topic, but he was thoroughly amused. Maybe this was Kihyun’s way of getting back at him for earlier this week. Hyunwoo grinned. He was pleased to see the doctor’s spirit wasn’t crushed. Quite the opposite, actually.

Kihyun picked up his glass of water and downed the rest before almost slamming it back on the table. “And,” he brought up a finger, not finished, “I will concede to having problems with following orders, but the U.S.S. Newton has the best Medical Division in all of Starfleet and that is _my_ doing.”

“You tell him, hyung,” Jooheon said from the other side of the table, busy piling a plate high with food.

Kihyun startled. “Where have you been?” 

An impossibly wide grin spread across his face. “You really don’t want to know where I’ve been. I’m just here refueling. Don’t mind me. You two can return to this mating dance you have going on. It’s real entertaining. Look real hot by the way, hyung. Like, _damn_ , yoga does a body good. But, carry on. I’ll be out of your way in a jiffy.”

“You mean you’ll be on your way to the others in a jiffy,” Hyunwoo corrected.

“Aw, Cap, the girls are waiting,” he whined.

“I don’t give a shit. You’ve been playing hooky all night-”

“You mean I’ve playing nookie all night,” Jooheon dimpled.

Hyunwoo put on his captain face. “Jooheon, cut the crap. You need to play nice with our hosts. See the girls later.”

Jooheon grumbled. “I thought we were supposed to accept their gifts. The girls have a lot of gifts and a lot to give. Who am I to refuse?”

Hyunwoo stared at him.

Jooheon put his free hand up in surrender, backing away from the table. “Yes, Sir.” he saluted. He stopped to rake his eyes down Kihyun with an impish grin. “Hyung, you’re killing this. You’re like a magazine pin-up.”

They watched him carry his plate back to the circle.

“He’s right, you know. You are killing this.” He hooked a finger under one of the strings, teasingly pulling at the bow. “You look like a dream.”

Hyunwoo drew his knuckle up Kihyun’s temple, swiping away a bead of perspiration clinging to his hair. “A wet dream,” he said thoughtfully. Hyunwoo’s brows drew down. “Kihyun, are you sure you’re okay? You’re sweating.”

“I’m fine. It’s hot in here with the fires and whatnot,” Kihyun said.

It really wasn’t, Hyunwoo thought.

Kihyun looked up at him expectantly. “But, you were saying?” A cheeky smile lit up his face. “I’m a what now?”

So, Kihyun wanted compliments, did he? Hyunwoo could do that. He could compliment him till that flush in his cheeks went down to his toes.

This flirtatious Kihyun came as a surprise to him. Over four months of dinners and all that transpired was Kihyun surreptitiously checking him out and helping him wash dishes. Perhaps it was the remnants of the wine or this situation that brought it out of him, but he wasn’t complaining. ‘Kitten,’ it turns out, was an apt choice for the man: at once both feisty and sweet, playful, and either too curious or too naïve to recognize the dangers of playing with a man like him. Hyunwoo didn’t pull punches in a fight or anywhere else in his life. He could swallow a man like Kihyun whole and he’d take great pleasure in enlightening him.

“Ah, yes. A wet dream,” he said, taking the doctor’s hand in his and slowly beginning back to the others. “I think this little confection you’re wearing is downright cruel. Do you know how thoroughly on display you are right now? How tempting your skin looks against that dark blue. With each step you take that poor excuse for a bottom blesses everyone with a flash of those cheeks.”

Kihyun’s hands flew around to his back, tugging slightly at the shorts, but there was anything to tug down. It was either cheeks or crack.

Hyunwoo chuckled darkly, looking at Kihyun’s hands holding the material against his bottom. “Are you playing dumb or did you genuinely not know?”

“Shia don’t believe in mirrors.”

This was getting better and better, Hyunwoo thought. “You haven’t seen yourself?”

Kihyun shook his head, worrying his lip.

“Let’s remedy that,” Hyunwoo said, pulling Kihyun up to an open alcove with a mirrored wall. He stood behind Kihyun, pulling his arms to his sides the same way Levania did.

“Take a look,” Hyunwoo said. He brought his lips to the doctor’s ear. “Those dark lips are like ripe fruit, begging to be suckled and nibbled on. This lithe, supple body,” he huffed a laugh into his ear, “You look so fucking malleable. You smell like derranian and I can’t help but wonder if you taste like it, too.”

Hyunwoo took pleasure in the flush that crept down Kihyun’s neck.

“Then there’s the way the silk rests against your cock. I can’t imagine how nervous you are. The slightest stirring and everyone will know.” Hyunwoo ran his fingers along the low waist of the shorts. Kihyun’s belly spasmed. “There’s that flutter again.”

Kihyun spun around, closing his eyes. “Hyunwoo.”

“Had enough compliments?”

“Yes,” he said, shaken.

“Very well.” He took his hand and continued towards their circle. “I’ll wrap this up with one last extollment, and, as it turns out, my favorite epiphany of the evening. Your ass, Dr. Yoo, is surprisingly fleshy. Yet another intriguing find that made it into the Yoo box tonight.”

Kihyun stopped in his tracks and weighed Hyunwoo’s words. He looked up at Hyunwoo with a squinted eye. “That isn’t some backhanded way of calling me fat, is it?”

“On the contrary, it’s...pleasing,” Hyunwoo explained.

Kihyun looked at him curiously.

“What?” Hyunwoo laughed, starting them forward again.

“Nothing. I guess I always assumed you were more of a ladies’ man. Given your dating record, it’s always a woman.”

“I go with my gut. I like what I like.”

“And, you like my ass?” Kihyun checked.

“Very much,” Hyunwoo assured.

Kihyun hummed.

“I think you like that I like your ass. Don’t you, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun didn’t deign to answer.

“Kihyun, you’re playing with fire right now. Playing coy doesn’t suit you. You think you get to ask your questions, make demands, but you can’t take any of it in return?” 

“I can take it,” Kihyun countered.

They were just outside the circle again and Hyunwoo stopped them, taking a hold of his soft shoulders and turning him to face him. His hands lightly came to rest at each side of his neck and his thumbs tipped his jaw up so he had Kihyun’s undivided attention.

“I’m sure you can take anything I give you. The question is, will you?” Hyunwoo stroked his thumbs up the front of his throat, over his adam’s apple.

Kihyun’s breath hitched. “Yes.”

Hyunwoo’s hands slid to his back, pulling Kihyun closer to him and trapping the man’s hands against his chest.

“I’m going to make this easy for you since we both know you have a problem following my commands. All I want to hear from those pretty lips of yours is ‘Yes, Sir’ or ‘No, Sir.’ Do you understand?”

Kihyun licked his lips. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now, as usual, you’re making me have to repeat myself. Do you like the fact that I like your ass?” Hyunwoo’s fingers drummed against the top of his buttocks.

Kihyun’s fingers wrinkled Hyunwoo’s shirt in an aborted grip. “Yes, Sir.”

“Does it turn you on?”

Kihyun closed his eyes. “Yes, Sir.”

“What did I say about not looking at me when I’m talking to you?” Hyunwoo said with an edge in his voice.

Kihyun opened his eyes.

“Better. Now, we have a job to do, you and I. One that is made much easier by a mutual attraction. What I need from you is clarification before we re-enter the lion’s den. So, let’s begin. Do you want my hands on you?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you want my hands on your ass?”

Kihyun’s mouth opened softly. This bizarre foreplay, or questioning, or whatever the fuck this exchange was supposed to be was setting his nerves on fire. It felt like Hyunwoo was stripping him bare in front of everyone. It was scary, and thrilling and hot. He wanted to be ruled over by him, surrender to him. “Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo smirked. “You want it now, don’t you?”

His ass clenched at the thought, color deepening across his face. “Yes, Sir.”

“Let’s see how good you can be first.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Kihyun was feeling stirrings in his cock. Hyunwoo was playing dirty. He knew his humiliation loomed imminent at this point and it was turning him on even more.

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

Kihyun tipped his head back involuntarily as if offering it to him. “Yes, Sir.”

“Do you want me to tease you out here in the open? Show them how sensitive you are to my every touch. Expose your quivering stomach and little nubs?”

Kihyun trembled. “Yes, Sir.” It was nearly a moan.

Hyunwoo chuckled, tickling his fingers at his lower back. “So many yeses. I didn’t know you were capable. You’re doing so well, baby, but I think you’re getting a little worked-up. I need you to remember that ‘No’ is acceptable, too, especially for this next question. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you want to lose control in front of all these people? Do you want me to make you come?”

Kihyun swallowed. “No, Sir.”

“Very good. Almost finished. Now, you may respond as you wish. There is no pressure. They are expecting an affectionate lover from you. If you want to stick with sitting in my lap and letting me take the lead, that is fine. Is there anything you want to do to me that I should be aware of?”

“Is that a trick question, Sir?” Kihyun asked.

“No,” he said in all seriousness. “I will be doing all of the above consented acts to you over the next few days, so expect them. In turn, I would like to know what to expect from you. Again, you are in no way obligated to do anything if you are uncomfortable.”

“I..,” Kihyun shook his head with a huff. “How did you say all that stuff with a straight face?”

“Kihyun, we already admitted a sexual attraction. I think we’re past the point of dancing around the issue. There is nothing to be bashful about. We’re adults playing a very adult game of pretend. What is something you want to do to me out here in the open? There is no right or wrong answer.”

Kihyun smoothed his palms against Hyunwoo’s chest and looked into his eyes. Shit, this was awfully intimate. He may as well be asking for his hand in marriage.

Kihyun bit his lip. The atmosphere in the lounge now compared to when he first walked in was drastically different. Lazy kisses became hungry. Wandering hands now wandered underneath clothes. Said hands underneath said clothes moved in rhythmical ways. A few even appeared to have lost their clothes altogether. And, there was definitely someone underneath that woman’s dress. Kihyun knew what they said about assuming, but he was pretty positive that man’s dick was inserted into the woman on his lap if her undulating hips and his face was anything to go by.

Kihyun sighed, realizing they had their work cut out for them. Kihyun never considered himself a prude until this moment. “Well, I like sitting in your lap.”

The corner of Hyunwoo’s mouth twitched. “Yes, we’ve established there will be lap sitting.”

“Right,” Kihyun trailed off. “I think I’d like to straddle you.” Kihyun cringed. He definitely didn’t explain how he wanted to feel Hyunwoo’s heart beat against his.

Hyunwoo’s eyes twinkled. “Okay. Anything else?”

“I’d like to kiss your neck,” Kihyun confessed.

“I consent.”

“Maybe sit at your feet and rest my head against your thigh.”

“Okay,” Hyunwoo said, an adoring smile growing despite his best efforts. He railroaded Kihyun with every dirty request in the book, asked if he could make him come, and here Kihyun was shyly asking to kiss his neck and rest his cheek against his leg. 

“I would also like to touch you. Your, um-” Kihyun made an awkward wax-on, wax-off kind of gesture to indicate his upper body.

“My muscles?” Hyunwoo supplied helpfully.

“Yes,” Kihyun said with a happy smile, a giddy note to his voice.

“Permission granted. Grope away,” Hyunwoo said. “Uh, Kihyun, as much as I’m looking forward to these sweet affections, I was really trying to get an idea of any explicit advances you might throw at me.”

“I know what you meant, it’s just...How am I supposed to know at this very minute? Don’t those things happen naturally? I mean, maybe something wicked will come to mind out of the blue.”

“Uh, uh, uh. Stop right there. I can see it in your eyes, ‘something wicked’ has a name.” Hyunwoo sent an inquisitive glare. “Cough it up.”

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun complained. “No. It’s embarrassing. This is all fun and games right now, but then we go back to the ship. How am I supposed to look at you if we go past a certain point?”

“That is why we are establishing boundaries right now, so that doesn’t happen. I’m not going to judge you. My depraved, orgiastic exploits with Hyolyn were heralded all across Starfleet. There is nothing you can say that will disgust or offend me. I promise.”

“Then,” Kihyun looked around, before bringing his lips to Hyunwoo’s ear. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to nuzzle my face in your cock.” He ducked his forehead against his shoulder, hiding his face. “Oh, my god. I just said that.”

A light, incredulous laugh shook against Kihyun’s forehead.

“First of all, yes.” The image of it alone had his cock anticipating. “But, can you explain this one to me?”

Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s face into his hands and coaxed his face up.

“Um. Like, press my face into your crotch? Rub my face against you? This is mortifying. What was I thinking? I mean, you’d have clothes on, of course. And, I definitely couldn’t do it with Hyungwon or Minhyuk and them watching. But, if they were gone, and it was just the Terlesians...”

Kihyun’s face scrunched in despair. “You think I’m a weirdo.”

“No,” Hyunwoo said. “Surprised that it’s on our PDA list, but no, not weird.”

Kihyun sighed miserably. “It’s a pheromone thing. I’m 3/4 human, but my anatomy and stuff isn’t all the same. I like the way human men smell. I don’t have that smell, so it’s kind of intoxicating. I like the hair, I get the urge to burrow into it. And, then there’s the size and girth. And, your,” Kihyun swallowed. “Yours is very...”

“Very?” Hyunwoo inquired, a smug smile widening.

“Distracting.”

Hyunwoo nodded in mock seriousness. “My cock has been distracting you? How so?”

“I’m feeling judged. You said you wouldn’t,” Kihyun complained.

Hyunwoo shook his head even as he grinned. “No. I’m taking this very seriously. If my cock has been distracting you, I need to know. I’ll take him in hand and give him a vigorous beating.”

A flash of surprise flew across Kihyun’s face before his eyes squinted up merrily, dissolving into a fit of musical laughter. His laughter drew the attention of their group. Hyunwoo felt extremely proud as he drew his thumbs across Kihyun’s dimpled cheeks.

His relationship with Kihyun grew leaps and bounds over the short time it took to walk to the table and then back. It was overwhelming. A good overwhelming. It raised a lot of questions. Kihyun wasn’t wrong. Right now, they were interacting under unusual circumstances. The necessity of their situation offered a sense of safety. But, they would return to the ship, and then...

Hyunwoo didn’t know what would happen then. He figured they would either pretend it never happened or find they couldn’t pretend it never happened.

At any rate, it didn’t matter at the moment. They had a court to charm, a kingdom to sign, and a lie to live. As his father used to say, ‘Your duty and lover always come first, but in that order.’

“Are you ready, lover?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun replied, laughter still in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this author needs to learn how to cut shit out of chapters because this was entirely too long for me, but I hope you enjoyed it. Somehow, my Terlesia two-parter has grown into three.


	12. Terlesia-Part III

Jooheon and two new Shia had taken over the loveseat in their absence, so Hyunwoo sat in the chair beside Ignatious and Hollyean. He looked at Kihyun, waiting for him to come sit on his lap. Now that lines were drawn, he was more than ready to color inside those lines, itching to run his hands over Kihyun’s body, to tease him, to have him writhing against him as he hid his face in the crook of neck.

Kihyun, the brat, seemed to read it in his eyes. So, of course, he didn’t. Hyunwoo twisted his lips. He was beginning to think the man enjoyed being obstinate for the sake of being obstinate.

Facing him, Kihyun slid gracefully to the floor between his legs, loosely hooking his left arm around his calf and resting his cheek just above the inside of his knee. His right hand rested on the chair between Hyunwoo’s thighs in a soft fist. Kihyun looked up at him with dark eyes and revealed a devilish smile. 

Naïve, then. Not curious. If the kitten thought he could rough and tumble with a lion and face no consequences, he had another thing coming. He returned the smile and plucked the bow on his right shoulder. The strings slithered off the incandescent shoulder and pulled the material down, revealing more of his graceful back and his chest. It folded just one millimeter high of his nipple. A shame.

Kihyun pulled away from his leg on a gasp, glaring up at him. He angrily retied the bow, not nearly as nice as the one before. Then, turned his back to him before setting his head against his knee. It wasn’t very affectionate.

Hyunwoo grinned.

Ignatious laughed. “A young love, indeed.”

Making amends, Hyunwoo carded his fingers through Kihyun’s hair, combing the strands from his forehead back towards him in soothing drags. 

Hyunwoo looked to Ignatious. “After two years of teasing me, it’s finally my turn.”

Kihyun’s shoulders came up indignantly, and he twisted his head up to look at him. “When did I ever?” he accused.

“Everyday,” Hyunwoo stated.

“I did not,” Kihyun argued, apoplectic. “You’re my Captain. I would have never.”

Hoseok looked up from Veigh’s neck and laughed. “If you only knew.”

Hyunwoo pulled Kihyun’s head back into the v of his legs so that he could look down upon him. It put the man’s neck on tempting display. “Unwittingly or not, you, Dr. Yoo, are very much guilty,” Hyunwoo informed.

Kihyun looked up at Hyunwoo from his bowed back position, unable to discern if this was acting or Hyunwoo telling him something. Two years? Amidst a hedonistic, debauched love affair with the goddess Hyolyn? Up until four months ago, Hyunwoo barely spared him a glance unless he fucked up. It seemed highly unlikely.

Hyunwoo smiled softly. “That’s okay, though. You’ve more than made up for it with this talented mouth,” Hyunwoo murmured. He traced his finger around Kihyun’s parted lips. Drawn in by their plump softness and the charming curve of his upper lip, he continued. The warm humidity of Kihyun’s breath puffed against his finger.

Kihyun’s eyes fluttered closed as he unconsciously relaxed his upper back and head completely into the space between Hyunwoo’s thighs. The crown of his head nestled against Hyunwoo’s crotch. The repeated, lingering brushes against his lips were drugging. Fuck, why did he sit on the floor? He wanted to be kissed so badly.

Hyunwoo’s finger became more daring, occasionally brushing along the inseam of his lips. Heat shot down his back and Kihyun’s lips parted ever so slightly more. The next time his finger stroked at his inner lips Kihyun’s tongue instinctively came out to meet it. Kihyun blushed. He didn't mean to do that. He opened his eyes, and the heat reflected in Hyunwoo’s made him shudder.

Hyunwoo brought his other hand to Kihyun’s throat, fingers running up and down the soft length. Kihyun was killing him. Dry spell or not, nobody was this responsive. The man was an easy read in all in areas, but sexually? Even with Kihyun’s eyes closed, he could see how much this simple act was affecting him: the almost undetectable furrow of his brows each time his finger left his lips, the pink high on his cheeks, his lovely chest rising and falling in increasing intervals, the rapid pulse under his fingers. Hyunwoo was hypnotized.

Kihyun’s lids fluttered shut again when Hyunwoo let his hand loosely grip his neck. The man closed his mouth and swallowed before parting them again on an exhale. The feeling of Kihyun’s throat constricting under his hand sent Hyunwoo’s mind to far baser actions than brushing his lips. 

He wondered if he couldn’t coax that tongue forward one more time. Hyunwoo again trailed his finger along his upper lip three times then paused. Kihyun tilted his head up just so as if anticipating its return. He then trailed it along his bottom lip, dragging the flesh back and forth. Kihyun appeared to like that, arching so that his chest raised higher for a moment.

Hyunwoo was focused on Kihyun, but remained aware of the eyes that watched them, or rather, Kihyun, who was so fucking captivating like this. Kihyun’s arms had hooked behind his calves and around, fingers lightly clasping his pants at the shins.

The scene exposed the man in a state of surrender: Hyunwoo’s fingers at his throat, head and upper body bowed back for his attention, arms trapped behind his legs, further arching his chest and stretching his taught stomach, which depressed concavely on each exhale, his legs were closed and curled in towards the chair, but the bottoms couldn’t hide his growing interest or the drop of precome staining where his tip met the silk.

As Hyunwoo continued to pull his finger back and forth along his bottom lip, Kihyun’s already closed eyes squeezed, frustration building on his face. Hyunwoo drew his finger along the open seam of his mouth and Kihyun gasped, face relaxing. He drew his finger from his philtrum down to his lower lip in quick lines and on the fourth pass, Kihyun’s tongue flicked forward to meet it, and again on the sixth, eighth, tenth. Hyunwoo slowed his finger and when it came to pass the opening this time, he let his finger enter just slightly before continuing back to his bottom lip, then starting all over again. On the third descent Kihyun’s tongue came forward to caress it, and again on each subsequent pass down his lips. Kihyun was making out with his finger and it was perhaps the hottest thing he’d ever seen. 

Hyunwoo, who was only loosely gripping Kihyun’s neck, solidified the grasp and a full body shudder wracked the man. The drop grew into a wider stain. Hyunwoo slowed his finger, knowing he needed to put an end to this. For a brief moment, he worried this constituted as ‘losing control.’ It was almost like Kihyun was in a fantasy right now, believing he was kissing somebody. He only hoped he hadn’t crossed a line. Who could have predicted Kihyun would react or respond in this way from having his lips touched?

Hyunwoo slowed his finger down even more as he marginally lightened his grip. Kihyun’s tongue still touched his finger on each slow pass, but it was lazier, not so much a caress than a touch. Hyunwoo finally lifted his grip and grazed his fingers up his throat to Kihyun’s face, softly petting Kihyun’s cheek until his eyes lazily opened. 

Kihyun swallowed. His body was thrumming. Hyunwoo’s face loomed in vivid detail over him. He could see something like concern in his eyes. What the fuck for? For a moment, he found all he could do was look up at Hyunwoo and breathe. He had no idea what the hell that was. He’d never been so in tune with his senses before, so in the moment. Goosebumps broke out across his scalp. He licked his lips and lifted his head, returning to a normal seated position. When the room spun back into place, he saw they had quite an audience.

Hyunwoo leaned down to touch his lips to his ear. “Was that okay?”

Kihyun pressed his mouth and nose to the inside of Hyunwoo’s knee and nodded, feeling shy. It was more than okay.

“The two of you have an incredible bond,” Ignatious said. “It’s a pity we won’t get to see it in all its glory.”

“I suppose we’ll have to settle for Julius’ atonement,” Levania said.

“Hey,” Julius pouted from Changkyun’s side.

Levania giggled, “Don’t worry, my love. I’ve been looking forward to it all evening.”

“So have I,” Changkyun murmured.

A clearing was laid out before them by several muscular Shia. He had the suspicion it was a makeshift stage, confirmed when Levania led Julius to the middle. An ottoman was pushed to the center. 

“Why are you here, my love?” Levania asked Julius.

“I did not complete the task you assigned,” Julius said with remorse, head down.

“And, have you completed it now?” 

He nodded.

“Good,” Levania smiled. “When I ask for something to be done, it is because something needs to be done. When I give you something to study, it is because it is knowledge I need you to have. Now, remove your silk and position yourself. I hope this serves as a reminder the next time you want to break the oath you gave me to run off and play.”

With a flick of the wrist, Julius’ silk slipped to the floor. He bent over with his hands on the ottoman and spread his legs.

“Very nice, Julius. Perfect form. Are you trying to impress our guests or appease me?”

Julius blushed. “Both.”

She hummed as a Shia handed her a black leather flogger. “That is a good answer, darling.”

Without warning, Levania brought the lashes against his right cheek.

Both Julius and Kihyun jumped.

“One,” Julius said, barely enough time to say it before it came down on his left cheek.

“Two,” Julius said, muscles straining in anticipation.

The blows against his ass and the backs of his thighs continued. Kihyun wrapped his arms around Hyunwoo’s leg and watched, fascinated. Each time the lashes connected, Kihyun lurched into Hyunwoo’s leg as if he was the one being struck.

Hyunwoo chuckled.

Reddening, Kihyun hid his face at Hyunwoo’s thigh. The sounds of the lashes still made his stomach clench.

Hyunwoo leaned down, hand smoothing down his back as he pressed his lips to the crown of his head. “I’m going to need to get you a bigger box, Dr. Yoo. Help me out here, I don’t want to mislabel this finding. Is it the spanking, the humiliation or the punishment in general that’s doing it for you?”

Kihyun gripped tightly at his pant leg.

He laughed darkly and brushed his lips to his ear. “Or, is it ‘D,’ all of the above?”

Kihyun was too turned on and mortified to respond. He lifted his eyes to the scene before him again. Julius’ backside was mottled in redness as he bit out ‘twenty.’

Julius’ labored breathing matched his own, and like Julius, he was sweating. Thankfully, the Shia said he’d had enough at thirty and Levania stopped. She kissed him tenderly and told him how well he did before guiding him back to Changkyun. His silk remained on the floor.

The circle returned to conversation and more provocative foreplay than earlier. Hyunwoo engaged Ignatious in a lengthy discussion on the craftmanship of Terlesian ships, from their metal and navigation system to their thrusters and smaller aircraft.

Kihyun felt like he was losing his bearings. Everything seemed both too clear and fuzzy all at once. An unpleasant ache was spreading down his body as the uncomfortable heat from earlier returned tenfold. He curled his legs upward towards him. Kihyun was a man who could easily get turned on by imagery and sound, but he was too hard and way too wet for not having been touched at all. 

When there was a break in conversation, Kihyun tugged at his shirt.

Hyunwoo leaned down, giving his attention.

“Captain,” Kihyun said just loud enough for him to hear. “Can we leave now?”

Hyunwoo pet his hair. “We can’t be the first ones to leave. Close your eyes and rest if you’re tired. Give it an hour longer and I’ll ask to be shown to our room, okay?”

It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, but he nodded against Hyunwoo and closed his eyes. Maybe he could work on willing his arousal to go away. He listened to Ignatious explain the beasts the furs came from and the lore behind each beast, regaling Hyunwoo with tales of the heroism needed to capture them in the days of old, before the onset of automated weaponry.

Kihyun would have found it interesting if he wasn’t feeling so odd. He was drifting. The buzz of conversation heightened and dimmed with each flash of heat. His skin was bothered by everything that touched it: the silk, Hyunwoo’s thigh against his forehead, the leather of the chair at his side and arm.

It said something about his state of mind that he didn’t have the thought to push away from the irritants. His cock was painfully hard and precome dribbled almost steadily. It was pooling where his legs were tucked up high against him. It dribbled down his crack as well, wetting the seat of his shorts. Sweat dripped down his back.

At first, he said nothing, made himself small, illogically thinking to ward off his humiliation for as long as possible. A short time later, he didn’t think much at all, illogically or logically. When the next wave of heat came, he went away with it. 

“If there is time, I will take you out to Deraben Canyon, you can see them for yourself. Their size and magnificence is truly humbling,” Ignatious said.

“I would be honored. Kihyun is a brilliant photographer, I’m sure he’d love to go.” Hyunwoo reached forward to scritch behind Kihyun’s ear and get his input, but he didn’t respond.

Looking down at the man whose forehead was mashed to his thigh, face down, Hyunwoo swallowed.

“Kihyun?” Now that he was paying attention, he could hear rasping breaths and felt the sweat from his brow against his pants.

He leaned forward and maneuvered Kihyun’s head into his hands, tilting his fevered face up. “Kihyun?” He asked when his head lolled to the side.

He tapped his cheek in light slaps. Kihyun tilted his head away from it, but he opened his eyes. Vacant icy blue stared back at him.

‘Shit.’

“Ignatious, can someone show us to our room?” 

“Yes, I’'ll take you.” Ignatious stood. “What’s wrong with him?”

Hyunwoo stood from the chair with his hands under Kihyun’s arms, pulling him up. Rivulets of precome ran down his thighs. The soaked silk clung to his rock hard erection like a second skin.

Kihyun snapped to alertness and buckled. 

Hyunwoo scooped him up and Kihyun smashed his face into his neck.

“Get me out of here,” Kihyun whispered fiercely.

Hyunwoo followed Ignatious out of the lounge and up three flights of stairs. Kihyun was struggling now that he was self-aware. His fingers dug in painfully at his neck and his hips were trying to find purchase on something to move himself against. It made carrying him extremely difficult.

“Ignatious, what’s happening? I’ve never seen him like this before.” Hyunwoo didn’t bother to hide his ire.

Ignatious frowned, opening a door at the end of a hall and walking in. “It must be the wine. He’s having an adverse or extreme reaction to it. I’ve never seen anything this strong.”

“What’s in the goddamn wine, Ignatious?” Hyunwoo sat on the bed, Kihyun in his lap.

Kihyun curled up to him and fought not to thrust against his torso. He failed, the wet silk making repeated contact with the side of his shirt. Hyunwoo held him tightly, feeling the frenzied mania Kihyun was trying to hold at bay.

“It’s honey wine fermented with a mild aphrodisiac. Shia drink it on a daily basis. This shouldn’t be happening. Even an entire case wouldn’t cause this kind of response.”

Hyunwoo grit his teeth. It took all his training not to scream at the man. “You don’t just let someone unwittingly drink an aphrodisiac, offer it to them without explanation,” he said angrily.

Kihyun moaned sharply. 

Hyunwoo breathed deeply. “I need you to leave so I can take care of him.”

Ignatious’ eyes widened apologetically. “I understand. I am so sorry about this.” He backed away from them. “There are items in the dresser, should you need them. I don't suspect you would use the Shia, but they are available to help.”

Hyunwoo could only stare at him. Ignatious got the message and left, closing the door behind him.

At the snap of the door, Kihyun aggressively pushed away from him, rushing to the bathroom on unsteady legs. 

Hyunwoo followed him only to be met with a slammed door. The unmistakable sounds of jerking off passed through the door, the wet, aggressive slides sounding rough and fast. Not fifteen seconds later, Kihyun cried out.

Hyunwoo gave him a moment before lightly knocking a knuckle against the door. “Kihyun, you alright? Can I get you anything?”

There was a muffled ‘shit’ followed by the tap being turned on high. 

“No. Please, just go away,” Kihyun said.

He sounded miserable, Hyunwoo thought. Through the rushing water, he heard Kihyun pick up his earlier ministrations. Muffled moans and broken off grunts passed presumably bitten lips.

Kihyun obviously wanted privacy and he wouldn’t deny him that right. He had enough rights taken from him tonight.

Hyunwoo returned to the bed and sat. He reached down to take off his boots and noticed precome on the uniform, darkening everyplace Kihyun’s bottoms made contact with.

He exhaled through his nostrils harshly, kicking off his boots and pulling the shirt over his head on the way to his suitcase. He was royally pissed. He had half a mind to go down there and make a scene, but the captain in him wouldn’t allow it. Duty first.

He stripped and pulled on boxers for the night. As he folded the uniform over the suitcase, he wondered what he was supposed to do right now. For some reason, he had trailed after Kihyun thinking of lending a hand. He shook his head, attractions confessed or not, they were not in public and this was far outside the parameters they set. Inside this room, they didn’t need to continue the lie.

At the same time, he couldn't leave. Everyone surely thought he was balls deep in the man right now. He fell back on the bed and put his hands behind his head. It was strange to be lying here, listening to the rushing water, knowing what was happening behind that door.

Remembering Ignatious’ words, he hopped up and went to the dresser. Pristine white towels and washcloths were folded in the first drawer. He took one of each and stored them under his arm.

In the second drawer he found what he was looking for and more. He took a vial of lube and stared at the rest. He no concept of Kihyun’s preference in toys and there were too many to take all of them over. Something told him Kihyun wouldn’t appreciate being asked his thoughts on dildo sizes and textures through the bathroom door right now. He decided to play it safe and took a nicely curved butt plug with an easy handle. On the way to the bathroom, he stopped to get Kihyun’s suitcase, rolling it to the bathroom door. He set the items on top and knocked.

“Ba-,” He stopped short. “Kihyun, still doing okay?” He rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous.

“Yes. Go away,” Kihyun said, sounding strained.

“Okay. Okay, I am. I’ve placed your suitcase and a towel outside the door. Some lube and an aid.”

A small ‘Thank you’ passed through the door.

Hyunwoo hesitated. “Do you want some help?”

A frustrated curse echoed followed by a punch at the door and then a pained curse. “No. Hyunwoo, please. Go away.”

“Okay. I get it. I’m leaving. I’m putting my headphones on and I’ll be working from the bed for a while. Call out if you need anything. Anything. I’ll hear it.”

Kihyun didn’t answer.

Hyunwoo sighed, walking away. This didn’t sit right with him at all. He was angry at this situation and upset that there wasn’t anything he could do.

He retrieved his notebook, glasses and headphones from his suitcase with more force than necessary and settled on the bed. Propping the pillows up behind him and firing up the notebook, he glanced over at the bathroom. The suitcase remained untouched outside the door. 

Determined to give Kihyun the privacy he so desired, he slipped on his reading glasses, put the buds in his ears and opened the file of proposals needing approval.

Engineering had an abundance of promising projects, but projects meant funding and resources. He had the hard job of choosing which ones to sign off on. In every decision regarding the Newton, there were always multiple considerations in play. He had people to do most of the grunt work for him, which is how he received this consolidated file in the first place, but the final decision went to him.

How to allocate the budget for academic and scientific research. How to be fair to other departments. How to weigh the pros versus the cons. How to spot any possible kinks that might have been overlooked. With geniuses like Minhyuk, Jooheon and Kihyun on board it was, at times, immensely difficult to choose which ones to put on the back-burner and which ones to approve.

This was honestly the last thing he wanted to do right now, but there was no way he was going to turn in for the night with a struggling, drugged Kihyun across the room. So, he got to business.

Between lengthy, data-rich reports and the white noise humming in his ears, he got lost in the work: fact checking proposed budgets and resources, making notes, putting each report in a line from most likely to least likely while simultaneously jotting down ways to appease ones that wouldn’t pass. Engineers were notoriously sensitive. By the time he finished and looked at the time, he panicked. 

He ripped out the ear buds. He’d been at it for well over an hour. He strode up to the bathroom door and knocked. “Kihyun? Kihyun? Is everything okay?”

The light was now off from under the door.

“Yes,” Kihyun said.

It was the most wretched ‘yes’ he heard in all his life.

“Kihyun, are you still-,” Hyunwoo stopped, hand on handle. “Can I come in?”

Kihyun didn’t answer him.

“Kihyun, I’m coming in, okay?” 

He pushed the suitcase out of the way with his foot and opened the door carefully, not sure where Kihyun was in the bathroom. He needn’t have bothered. The bathroom was large, and in the middle of the floor, Kihyun lay naked.

Hyunwoo flicked the lights on and sucked in a breath. The man’s entire body was flushed and bathed in sweat, belly coated in precome, torso splattered with come, but it was his cock that gave him pause. His own screamed in sympathy. It was an angry red, fully erect and still dripping messily onto Kihyun’s stomach. It was too engorged. Kihyun’s face was exhausted, eyes teary and still ice-blue.

Hyunwoo crouched down next to him. On closer inspection, Kihyun appeared to have hurt himself or lost control. Scratches marked his reddened thighs and abdomen, close to his erection.

“We need to get you back to the ship, to sickbay,” Hyunwoo stated, getting ready to pull him up.

Kihyun shook his head. “No way. I’m not going into my place of work like this,” he shivered out. Not because of nerves, but because his chest was quivering. From strain, exhaustion, both, Hyunwoo didn’t know.

“Kihyun, you’re a doctor. They’re doctors. They are there to help crew in need. You are in definite need.”

“No,” Kihyun refused. “If it were you, how would you feel?”

He did have a point there, but this wasn’t something to mess around with. “Then let me help you,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s face scrunched up in despair. “You can’t. It h-hurts too much.”

“Tell me,” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun crossed an arm over his eyes, trying not to cry. His stomach and chest shook. “It hurts too much to come. I can’t do it again. I can’t even touch it anymore, but I have to. I need it.”

Hyunwoo sat down on the floor next to him and took his wet hand, comforting him and thinking. He observed Kihyun: skin hot to the touch, red, fatigued, labored breathing, his pulsed raced under his thumb, every line in his body drawn so tense he trembled.

“You’ve obviously come. A lot. I don’t think this is a matter of working it out of your system. I think it’s a matter of waiting it out. The Shia probably rely on the wine to last into the night, keep their libido up. Let me help you try to relax and make you feel good, take your mind off the pain you’re feeling, if possible.”

Kihyun’s chin wobbled and tears ran into his hair. It was the same conclusion he came to himself, but waiting it out was proving impossible. He needed stimulation desperately, but it hurt each time he tried. The waiting it out was so impossible that he’d do anything to make it better, even if it meant humiliating himself in front of his captain. He nodded in agreement before turning his head away from Hyunwoo, upset.

Hyunwoo let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, relief coursing through him. “Okay. I’m going to take care of you. But, Kihyun, if this lasts for too much longer, I am taking you back to the ship. No arguments.”

Kihyun curled in on himself. “Fine.”

Hyunwoo got up and left momentarily, returning with two washcloths. He ran them under cool water and crouched down next to him again. Hyunwoo coaxed him to lay down on his back. He used the first cloth to wipe away the fluids. Kihyun flinched away. 

“I’m not going to touch it. I’m only going to wipe around it,” Hyunwoo assured. “Breathe.”

He tossed the washcloth into the sink then used the second to wash the sweat and tears from his face. He took each hand in his own, wiping the slickness and stickiness from his palms and fingers. Turning it over, he ran it down his body, washing away more sweat and hoping it would refresh him in some small way. 

“Can you stand up?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kihyun said, taking Hyunwoo’s proffered hand and starting to pull up.

Kihyun groaned, the movement proving to hurt him. 

“Nevermind. I’ve got you.” Hyunwoo gently and slowly carried him to the bed, where he layered a couple towels down.

“Let’s get you settled on top of this.” Hyunwoo helped guide his center over the towels.

“Lie there. I’ll be right back.”

Hyunwoo opened the bedside drawer and turned the overhead fan to the highest speed. He came back with a clean wet washcloth that he set on the nightstand. Then, he approached Kihyun with the lube.

“Can you spread your legs?”

“Yes,” Kihyun said, drawing them up and spreading them wide. They shook. His fingernails dug into the skin at his thighs, leaving angry lines.

Hyunwoo took the hands in his own, they fisted tightly in his grip. “Kihyun, stop. You’re hurting yourself.”

“I can’t help it,” Kihyun bit out.

‘No, you probably can’t,’ Hyunwoo thought, trying to massage the fists into softness to no avail. He let them go.

Hyunwoo pressed his lips together. If he couldn’t even hold his legs up, there was no way he could get on all fours or bend over. His hands kept attacking his body in frustration, instinctively reaching for his cock only to stop short and viciously claw at the skin around it. He took the hands in his own again to stop him.

“Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. Let’s turn you around and on your knees.” Hyunwoo crawled onto the bed to guide him.

“Good. Now sit down on your feet.”

Kihyun kneeled on the towel with Hyunwoo’s hand on his waist for support.

“Widen your thighs a bit.” Hyunwoo helped him. He didn’t want his cock trapped or rubbing against his legs and stomach. 

Hyunwoo brought his hand to his back. “Now, curl over, rest your cheek against the bed. Very good. Is this position comfortable?”

Kihyun’s rear and feet were perched at the side of the bed. His toes dangled over the edge.

“Nothing is comfortable,” Kihyun seethed, hands fisting tightly again on the bed, at either side of his head.

Fair enough. At least he wasn’t hurting himself, except for straining his fists. Hyunwoo knew he’d feel that tomorrow.

“I understand. I’m going to try and take your mind off it. Breathe in deeply and slowly for me.”

Kihyun broke out into another sheen of sweat.

“I’m going to massage your hole. I want you to close your eyes and focus on that one area. Can you try?”

“Yes,” Kihyun stuttered on a shaky breath.

“Deep breaths,” Hyunwoo reminded, slicking his fingers with lube.

It smelled sweetly of derranian and honey. He frowned. The lube wasn’t exactly tailored for anal play, too thin and water-based. He kept it close by. He sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Kihyun’s exposed ass and feet. He draped an arm over his lower back, resting his hand on Kihyun’s opposite hip to steady him. He guided his lubed middle finger to the clenched hole and gently stroked down it.

Kihyun jumped violently. 

His steadying hand pet his right ass cheek as he stroked down the opening again. Kihyun’s jump was milder. On the third touch, he ran it around the rim and Kihyun moaned.

Hyunwoo continued lightly running his finger along the rim. “Does it feel good?” 

Kihyun hummed, raising his buttocks higher.

“Back down. We’re relaxing and feeling, not racing towards another orgasm that hurts you.”

He may as well be talking to a brick wall. Kihyun tried his best to increase pressure against his hole, pushing back as much as could in the restrictive position, swiveling his ass as if his hole was playing tag with his circling finger. Fuck, if that wasn’t a sight to behold. 

At least this was distracting Kihyun to an extent.

Hyunwoo circled his rim in the other direction. He massaged the opening quicker than before since it seemed to keep Kihyun in place. Not twenty seconds later, Kihyun suddenly seized up, coming on a broken, agonized sob.

 _Shit_. He barley touched him. He looked back over his shoulder at Kihyun’s face pressed against the towel. “Are you okay?”

Kihyun nodded, in direct opposition to the pain mirrored on his face. His cheek caused the towel to wrinkle up.

“I really think we need to get you to sickbay. You are overtaxed. At what point is this going to go too far? I understand the concept of saving face, but this is out of our hands.”

Tears ran into the towel. “No,” he said hoarsely.

“You were drugged. There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Hyunwoo said.

“Hyunwoo, please. No,” Kihyun begged, getting worked up. “I swear, it’s getting better.” He gulped for air. “I don’t even feel as hot as I did before.”

Hyunwoo bit his tongue, unsure. He could tell Kihyun was telling the truth, but this was dangerous. This wasn’t a sprained ankle, it was a penis. Generally speaking, those were pretty fucking important to a man and erections weren’t meant to last this long, not like the one between Kihyun’s legs. Feeling his overheated body and seeing how it trembled, he worried the man might go into shock.

Hyunwoo groaned as desperate, wet blue eyes looked back at him. He calculated how swiftly he could get Kihyun to sickbay if things went south. It wouldn’t take long: clear the palace, hit his com, and they’d be there.

“Thirty minutes and not a moment more. Look at me, Kihyun. I mean it. I will throw you over my shoulder and walk you straight into Medical.”

“O-,” Kihyun yawned. “Okay.” 

The man was worn out, but his body wouldn’t give him a break. His knuckles white around fisted towel, muscles straining even while sitting in place.

Hyunwoo dribbled the fragrant lube over his hole and his body quaked. It trickled down his crack and the back of his balls, dripping to the towel underneath. This time he let his finger run up and down the rim in slow, soft strokes. He removed his hand from Kihyun’s right hip and rubbed up and down his spine, massaging at the base of his neck.

“How is this? Too much?” Hyunwoo asked.

“More,” Kihyun asked.

“Kihyun, the point is to relax your body, wait this out.”

“ _And_ , distract. Please. It’s the only thing keeping me from ripping my cock off right now.”

Hyunwoo winced, allowing a firmer pressure.

A soft grunt escaped Kihyun’s lips as he lifted his ass yet again, seeking something more.

“Down.” Hyunwoo pressed at his lower back, then massaged the base of his spine.

Talking was distracting, too, he thought. “Is this normal for you?” he asked.

“A three hour erection? No,” Kihyun said like he was an idiot, followed by a sharp moan.

Hyunwoo’s lips quirked up. The man must be doing a little better if he could make jokes. Normally, he’d spank an ass for sass like that, but Kihyun deserved nothing but unconditional care right now. 

“I’m talking about that orgasm a minute ago, coming from a little stimulation at your rim,” Hyunwoo clarified.

Kihyun turned his face into the mattress.

“Yes,” came the muffled response. “It’s-,” Kihyun’s breath stuttered as he raised his ass up again, “sensitive.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Hyunwoo drawled, pushing his ass back down and switching his finger from side to side in exaggerated slides. It caused Kihyun’s ass to do brilliant things as his hole attempted to follow his finger. Hyunwoo couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

“It’s a-oh, fuck!” Kihyun broke off when Hyunwoo’s finger caught inside the rim, just shy of penetration. 

Hyunwoo lifted his finger off the hole. “It’s a...?”

He tapped his finger against the hole in a jaunty tempo. It caused Kihyun’s body to shudder and twitch. He lifted his finger off again.

“Hyunwoo!” Kihyun whined. 

“You were telling me something.”

Kihyun lifted his ass once again. “Nerve-endings. There are a lot in comparison to humans.”

Hyunwoo hummed thoughtfully, pushing it back down. “So, you can come from fiddling with your sweet, little rim. Do you?” He returned to tapping morse code against his clenching hole.

Kihyun unfisted his hands just to fist the towel back in them. “Hyunwoo, please.”

Hyunwoo stopped the hand stoking his back and returned it to Kihyun’s ass cheek. He could feel that Kihyun was cooling down. It soothed his worried mind. If he could just keep this going until the effects wore off, then complete this cruel spell with one last climax.

“If you answer my questions, I’ll reward you in kind. So, Kihyun, do you fiddle with your asshole? Rubbing around and around in little circles like a clitoris?”

Kihyun’s toes curled. “Yes.”

Hyunwoo smiled and ran his finger around his rim in quick circles. “Like this?”

Kihyun’s ass began to rise.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Kihyun dropped it back down. “Yes, Sir,” he panted. “Like that.”

Hyunwoo’s brows rose. ‘Sir, huh?’

“And, do you put your fingers inside?”

“Yes,” Kihyun breathed, excited.

“How many?” Hyunwoo stopped, applying more lube to his index and middle finger.

“Two, Sir.”

“Two?” He brought his index finger to his hole, easing the tip in.

Kihyun inhaled sharply and clenched tightly around it.

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo admonished gently. “Relax and feel. Breathe.”

Kihyun groaned miserably, but unclenched after a moment and took a deep breath in and out.

“Very nice.” Hyunwoo slipped it in further, twisting from side to side, then pumping slow and shallow.

Kihyun reflexively clenched for a while before he relaxed into it. As much as he could relax with a painful cock. With how tightly his body was strung right now, he knew it was a result of extreme concentration on Kihyun’s part that he was able to unclench at all.

There was an unusual shake at Kihyun’s back and Hyunwoo looked back. His heart fell as his brows drew down in sympathy.

“Baby, don’t cry,” he soothed, returning to running his other hand up and down his back.

That seemed to make it worse and more tears fell to the towel. Kihyun’s breath hitched on a weepy moan. Whether it was from crying or his finger, he didn’t know. “Talk to me. What is it? Do you want me to stop?”

Kihyun shook his head and opened his mouth, but all that came out was a broken sob. He tried again. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. You’ve had a severe reaction to something you didn’t even want. I’m only helping you through it. I want to help you through it.”

Kihyun squeezed his eyes shut. “I hate this.”

Hyunwoo continued the shallow thrusts and calming pets down his back. “I know. After so long, I’m sure it’s not what you had in mind.”

Kihyun quieted.

“How do you feel?” Hyunwoo asked.

“It hurts and I’m so tired,” Kihyun said in a quiet voice.

“Alright. Focus on my fingers. I know it’s impossible, but try to forget about the pain right now.” Hyunwoo prodded his middle finger along his entrance.

Kihyun’s ass rose in anticipation, breath accelerating.

“Relax, Kihyun. I don’t want you to come until the effects are lifting. We’re going slow. There’s nothing to get excited about. Just feel it.”

He pushed past his ring, middle finger joining the other.

“Hyu-,” Kihyun groaned. Hyunwoo’s two fingers felt so much better than his own.

Hyunwoo moved his fingers back and forth slowly. He angled his body more towards Kihyun, making it easier on his wrist and arm.

Pulling out momentarily, he drizzled more of the weak lube onto his fingers and onto Kihyun’s hole. Slipping them back inside, he continued at a leisurely, but steady pace. Kihyun’s body rocked forward slightly on each thrust, little mewls sporadically breaking past his lips.

Thinking to distract him further, Hyunwoo tried to get Kihyun talking.

He grinned. “So, what are your plans for the holidays?” 

Kihyun’s moan coughed into a laugh, in spite of the tears in his eyes.

Hyunwoo smiled.

“Are we really talking about this with your fingers in my ass? What’s next, the weather?” 

Hyunwoo shrugged a shoulder though Kihyun couldn’t see him. “Why not? We’re roommates. We should bond.”

“I think we’re about as bonded as we can be right now,” Kihyun grit out.

Kihyun’s back twisted sharply to the side on a small yelp as Hyunwoo’s fingers massaged his prostate. 

“Too much?” Hyunwoo slowed his fingers, being mindful of the area. “Indulge me. What are you doing for Christmas?”

Kihyun huffed into the towel. “Probably stay on the ship. Work on some projects I haven't had time for.”

His ass lifted shakily again, wanting more, and Hyunwoo pressed it back down.

“I used to go home with Minhyuk. Stay with him and his parents. They’re going on vacation this year.”

“Hmmm. And, what do you do when you go?”

Kihyun’s eyes were clenched shut again, focused on the sensation of Hyunwoo’s fingers gliding up and down his walls.

“Kihyun?” Hyunwoo prompted.

“Mm? Not much. Meals with his family, decorate the tree. They always wait for him to do that. It’s nice.”

Kihyun appeared to be in a decent state right now. His fingers set at an easy pace, not too much or not too little. He let silence descend. Kihyun’s heavy breathing, little moans and the slick movement of his fingers, filled the space.

Hyunwoo wondered if this strong reaction to the wine was due to his human or Bemonian ancestry. His heart squeezed for him. A few hours ago, the man was telling him how he didn’t want to lose control and here he was curled up in pain, desperate and vulnerable. 

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. This wasn’t exactly easy. While he felt for the man and only wanted to ease his suffering, his cock wasn’t as compassionate. Rocking his fingers into Kihyun’s searing walls was a siren’s call to his half-hard dick.

Laughing bitterly at himself, he flicked off his fogging glasses and tossed them to the other side of the bed. If someone had asked him what he thought he might be doing today, fingering his Chief Medical Officer would not have made the list. Every little noise Kihyun made was like a loving stroke up his cock.

The only thing that kept him from taking himself in hand as he finger-fucked the exquisite ass was the man’s obvious distress and how fucked up this was. He may have gotten him to laugh a couple times, but this unending reaction to the wine was taking its toll on the smaller man.

Tremors shook his exhausted body, held uncontrollably tight for far too long. Moans tapered off into stuttering yawns. His teary, frustrated eyes stared out unseeingly at the opposite wall.

So, he continued, determined to help him see this through. When Kihyun became restless, he thrust harder and faster, pulling out to circle his sensitive rim, before plunging back in. When Kihyun was getting close, he slowed into softer explorations of his walls, softly moving in and out. Sometimes, he would stop moving all together, rubbing and soothing his curved back and hips.

They just passed the thirty minute mark, but he continued. Kihyun’s tired body feeling even cooler than before. They might make it through this yet.

It was during one of his gentle assaults when Kihyun lifted his head off the towel for the first time, like a cat slowly waking from a nap.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun said, looking ahead at the silvery curtains.

Something about the way he said it got his full attention. Like a statement and discovery all in one.

Kihyun looked over his shoulder and stared back at him with dark brown eyes. “I think it’s over.”

“Yeah? Okay, we’re going to get you there one last time. It’s going to hurt, but then you can rest,” Hyunwoo said.

‘Hopefully,’ he added to himself. 

Kihyun whined, dreading the pain from coming again, but needing it so badly. “Okay,” he sucked in a breath and dropped his head back down to the bed.

Hyunwoo tightened his hold on Kihyun’s hip and thrust deeply, pulling them out until the tips remained, then pushing them deep once again. He kept an unyielding rhythm and each punch forward thwarted Kihyun’s quest for air, every inhale broken off in a gasp. Now that his fingers were aiming for completion and not merely a distraction, Kihyun was squirming in his hold. 

Hyunwoo curled his fingers, searching for the spot he knew would get him there. The oversensitive spot he avoided earlier, not wanting to hurt him. But, it was time to end this.

Kihyun emitted a throaty shout of pained pleasure as his ass shot up. Hyunwoo wrestled him back into place, not letting up. 

“Hyunwoo, please!” he begged, pushing himself up onto his shaking arms and hands, only to fall forward on the bed again, lacking the strength to hold himself up.

Hyunwoo stayed the course. There was no need to go harder or faster. Kihyun was there.

Kihyun’s toes curled sharply. “Oh, my god!” he gasped. “Oh, my god!” His arms spread out before him, finding purchase on the comforter and grabbing hold. He pulled himself forward even as he arched into Hyunwoo’s fingers, as if he wasn’t sure what he wanted.

Kihyun’s trembling body drew uncomfortably tight, and he came on a violent, pained cry. He held his body tautly for a moment before he sucked in a breath, collapsing back into position over the towel. His curled back expanded and compressed in large, quivering breaths.

Hyunwoo slipped his fingers free and drew his thumb across the loosened hole. It grasped at air in the absence of his fingers.

Hyunwoo observed the fine, delicate musculature of Kihyun’s body ripple in tremors. He soothingly ran his palm up and down his back for a few moments. Eventually, he stood up, curling over his form with a leg against the bed.

“You did so well,” he murmured. “Let’s turn over and see how you’re doing.” Hyunwoo helped Kihyun roll to the side and onto his back, off the wet towel.

Hyunwoo grimaced. Kihyun’s cock was still a vivid red, but it was finally softening. The angry pigmentation would most likely fade now that the blood was receding. Kihyun’s eyes were closed.

“How are you feeling?” Hyunwoo asked, brushing the wet strands off his forehead.

“Dead,” Kihyun said, then yawned. His stomach and thigh ticked.

“Are you hurting?”

Kihyun lazily turned his head from side to side on the mattress. He peeled his heavy lids open, running his eyes slowly over Hyunwoo. “You’re naked,” he observed sluggishly.

“Not quite,” Hyunwoo corrected. “I’m going to wipe you down now and get you to bed.”

Kihyun hummed, eyes drifting closed.

Hyunwoo smiled. Poor man was tuckered out. He took the washcloth and washed his face. Kihyun turned his face away, bothered by the cool cloth. He ran it down his body, focusing on wiping up the fluids. Kihyun’s hands shot down, grabbing his wrist in a weak hold.

“Shh. Don’t worry. I’m not going to touch it.” He did the best he could, being mindful of the scratches. It was the best he was going to get until he could shower.

Hyunwoo tapped Kihyun’s thigh. “Spread your legs, please.”

Kihyun made a flopping movement with a leg that did absolutely nothing.

Hyunwoo blinked. Did he think he actually opened them?

He lifted them himself, folding them against his chest by the knees. He made quick work of cleaning between his cheeks and wiping up the excess lube. When he let go of the knees, his legs dropped outwards.

“Kihyun, under the covers. Come on.” Hyunwoo tried to rouse him.

He gave a pathetic moan in response, so far gone.

Hyunwoo pulled back the covers where he was standing and maneuvered Kihyun under them. Kihyun was absolutely no help, but he succeeded in tucking him in.

He thought Kihyun was sleeping when he pulled away, but Kihyun softly called out to him.

“Captain?”

“Yes?” Hyunwoo asked, looking down at the dark lashes fanning his red cheeks.

“Thank you,” Kihyun said, the consonants blurred in drowsiness.

Hyunwoo watched him for a few moments as his breath evened out.

He stifled a yawn. He was exhausted, too, but he needed to tidy up. He expected Kihyun would be embarrassed in the morning. The less evidence, the better. 

He picked up the towels off the bed. Admittedly, he didn’t know what constituted normal precome production for Bemonians, but this had to be due to the wine. He ran his hand over the comforter. A small wet spot, not enough to warrant changing the covers. He retrieved the washcloth from the table and the washcloths from the bathroom and tossed them into a hamper. He returned the lube and plug to the drawer then went back to the bathroom with his travel case.

Washing his hands, then his face, he leaned over the counter, staring into the mirror.

Shit just got complicated. A friend wouldn’t finger-fuck a friend in need. A captain definitely wouldn’t. They’d take them to a doctor, a hospital. There’s no way he’d have done this for any of the others. He shuddered just thinking about it.

He leaned against the wall as he brushed his teeth, thinking.

Realistically, if he took a step back and looked at the pieces, not much had happened tonight. Kihyun might not agree with his perspective, but it was true. One, they made an agreement to play out a charade. And, two, they admitted a physical attraction towards each other. That’s it. Granted, Kihyun placed his trust in him tonight, but it was born out of sheer desperation. Hyunwoo wouldn’t count it.

On the other hand, playing around with Kihyun downstairs was far more fun and satisfying than he ever imagined. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to give chase. But, he was only one piece of the puzzle. He knew Kihyun liked him on some level, but liking someone didn’t automatically mean ‘yes.’ Kihyun could very well return to the ship and pretend like nothing was different. That was his choice to make.

Hyunwoo spit and grinned. There were no rules saying he had to make that choice easy for him. After getting a taste of what being with Kihyun might be like, Hyunwoo wasn’t backing down. If Kihyun took a step back, he’d take two steps forward, remind him of the fire that burned between them downstairs.

He didn’t know why his determination startled him. He liked complicated things and was, in fact, drawn to them. Would there be obstacles in embarking on a relationship with his Chief Medical Officer? Probably. With Yoo Kihyun, in particular? Definitely. His gut told him it was worth it.

He returned to the bedroom, pouring two glasses of water on the other side of the room. He considered waking Kihyun up to drink it, but thought better of it. He placed it on the nightstand instead. 

Kihyun was dead to the world as he drew the covers down for a moment, checking the state of his cock. His mouth ticked up. Kihyun _would_ have a pretty dick. As smooth and pale as the rest of him with a light pink blush. It made the overly engorged, swollen memory of it earlier all the more alarming. He would never have classified a sac as ‘cute’ before, but there Kihyun was proving him wrong. The soft length lay flaccid between his marked-up legs, his belly rising and falling softly above it. Satisfied, Hyunwoo pulled the covers up over his shoulders and went to his side of the bed.

Switching the lights off, he crawled in next to the sleeping man and closed his eyes. What a fucking day.

He woke up four hours later, 6:00 a.m., hearing the bathroom door click shut and the shower turn on. He looked to the side and found an empty glass of water. It was disorienting that he didn’t stir when someone was moving next to him and about the room.

The sound of the shower lulled him back into a state of rest and he closed his eyes peacefully. Eventually, the shower stopped, and he listened to Kihyun putter about the bathroom. That was calming, too. 

However, after twenty minutes of no sound at all, unease crept down his spine. Maybe it wasn’t over yet. He slipped out of bed and approached the bathroom. Outside the door, the air was balmy from steam, fragrant with soap and shampoo. 

He knocked. “Kihyun? Are you feeling better? Can I get you anything?”

There was a small, but clear ‘No.’ He couldn’t hear or detect any movement inside.

Hyunwoo huffed. “Was that a ‘no’ to feeling better or a ‘no’ to needing anything?”

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

Hyunwoo licked the corner of his mouth and widened his eyes. Was that all he was going to get? He wondered what the hell he was doing in there.

“You’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep. Come back to bed.”

Silence.

“Kihyun, you can’t stay in there the whole trip.”

“I can try,” Kihyun said, but he opened the door and looked up at him.

In pale green pajama pants and a soft yellow tee, Kihyun looked fresh, his towel dried hair in charming disarray.

Kihyun turned to store his dermal regenerator back into his medical kit before turning back to him, hip against the counter. 

“I feel weird,” he confessed.

“Emotionally,” he added, seeing the concern on Hyunwoo’s face.

“Okay.” Hyunwoo nodded. “Understandable.”

Kihyun bit his cheek. “I mean, we had sex. Not sex, sex. But, sex. Did I pressure you into it? You wanted to take me to sickbay.”

“No, you didn’t pressure me or guilt me into anything. I wanted to take you to sickbay because I was scared for you. I was the one who offered to help, remember?” Hyunwoo assured.

Kihyun frowned, looking down. “Okay. Thank you... for helping me.”

After a moment, Kihyun sighed. “It’s kind of hard to look at you right now.”

“Why?” Hyunwoo asked softly, leaning against the door frame.

“You know why,” Kihyun said. “And don’t tell me there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m embarrassed.”

“There isn’t, but you’re entitled to your feelings,” Hyunwoo said.

“You sound like Changkyun,” Kihyun grumbled.

Hyunwoo grinned, channeling Changkyun further. “Want to talk about it?”

Kihyun groaned.

Hyunwoo flipped the light and took Kihyun’s hand, ushering him back to bed. “Come on. You don’t have to look at me. You can close your eyes and sleep.” 

Kihyun slipped under the covers and drew the sheets over his head.

Hyunwoo chuckled, crawling under the covers on his side of the bed. He pulled the sheets over his head, too, and punched his arm up to make a tent.

Kihyun looked at him. The shampoo from his damp hair smelled sweet like apples under the covers. 

“Why are you embarrassed?” Hyunwoo asked.

“So many reasons,” Kihyun said.

“Like?”

Kihyun sighed. “Really? I came in the vicinity of you, my captain, six times. I came in front of you twice. Your fingers were in my ass. I dripped all over the place. It got on your uniform. You had to take care of me. You cleaned up after me. Then, even before all that, there was that whole making out with your finger thing. And, you were angry with Ignatious last night and if this doesn’t work out because of me, I’ll feel awful.”

“That all?” Hyunwoo teased.

Kihyun kicked his shin.

“Not one of the things you listed is your fault. Were you a messy, messy boy that I had to clean up after? Yes.”

Kihyun groaned and covered his eyes with a hand.

Hyunwoo smiled. It was too dark under the covers to see the blush he knew was there.

“Now, I would argue that you didn’t come in front of me twice, but that I made you come twice. That’s on me. Give credit where credit’s due. And, six times, Dr. Yoo?” Hyunwoo whistled. “How is Kihyun junior this morning?”

“Fine,” Kihyun mumbled.

“Don’t worry about Ignatious. Changkyun can smooth over any rough edges. That’s part of his job. And, if he can’t, I couldn't care less. I know they didn’t mean you any harm, but harm was dealt. I’m allowed to be angry and so are you.”

“Look at me, Kihyun.”

Kihyun lowered his hand from his eyes to his nose and mouth. Dark, uncertain eyes peered back at him.

“Kissing my finger? Anything that happened between us last night? If you think I minded, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Kihyun swallowed.

Hyunwoo took the hand on his face into his own, massaging the knuckles with his thumb. “How is the rest of you feeling today?”

“Like I was accidentally dropped off at Hoseok’s extreme boot camp,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo made a face. “That bad, huh?”

He dropped Kihyun’s hand. He shifted upwards, supporting himself on an arm. The tent shifted, held up by his head now. Hyunwoo looked down at him. “Silver linings, Dr. Yoo. If you’re walking around on weak, shaky legs today, you’re going to make me look real good.”

Kihyun laughed.

Hyunwoo smiled. “Come on.” Hyunwoo whipped the sheets off from over their heads. “Get a few more hours of sleep.”

Kihyun settled his cheek onto the pillow, slipping his hands underneath it. “Okay.”

He felt Kihyun’s eyes follow him as he rearranged the pillow and sheets, until he settled onto his back and against his own pillow. He turned his head, catching him.

Raising a brow, he smirked. “Should I get your camera?” he quipped.

Kihyun’s mouth parted. His response was to flip the other way.

Hyunwoo grinned. “Sweet dreams, Dr. Yoo.”

__

The next time Hyunwoo woke, it was to a light rapping at the door. He ran a hand over his face and looked down, a smile forming.

Kihyun was fast asleep, curled up to him. His soft hands held his bicep to his face, forehead and nose pressed into the arm. He extricated himself and pulled on a tee-shirt on the way to the door.

A servant stood on the other side with a food cart. “Good morning, Captain Son. I’ve brought breakfast. King Ignatious would like everyone to meet downstairs at eleven for a tour of the grounds.”

“Thank you. We’ll be there.”

The servant hesitated. “Master Ignatious asked to inquire about Dr. Yoo. Is he well?”

“He’s fine,” Hyunwoo clipped curtly, rolling the cart inside.

Hyunwoo closed his eyes and sighed heavily. As much as it pained him, he needed to make restitution for his tone of voice last night. He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck wearily.

He looked back at the nervous servant. “You may tell Ignatious we are grateful for his kind concern and that Kihyun has recovered well.”

The servant smiled. “Yes, Captain Son.”

He closed the door.

“Don’t strain yourself, Captain,” Kihyun’s voice drawled.

Kihyun sat cross-legged on the covers.

Hyunwoo smiled, rolling the cart to the bed. “Diplomacy is a bitch.”

He set the plates of fruit, bite-sized sandwiches, and petite pastries on the bed and joined Kihyun.

Kihyun bit into a strawberry-like fruit. “Nobody could have predicted that would happen. I may very well be the first non-Terlesian to ever drink it. Now, they know.”

“It should come with a disclaimer. How could they not have said anything?”

Kihyun lifted a shoulder. “It probably didn’t occur to them. Sex is like breathing here. Pretty sure Levania was being fingered not four feet from her parents last night.”

“She was,” Hyunwoo said. “Gilda has quite the touch.”

Hyunwoo observed the sleep-rumpled man before him. “So, you’re okay with all this? I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to return to the ship.”

Kihyun shook his head. “I’m okay. Shy. I soaked myself in front of my friends, but I’ll get over it.”

“I don’t think they had much time to notice. They were...preoccupied. Here,” Hyunwoo said, handing him a plate of cheesy egg tarts. “I’m going to shower. Eat. Your body really went through it last night.”

Kihyun took the plate and nodded. “Okay, Dr. Son,” Kihyun said sarcastically.

Hyunwoo winked and left him.

Ten minutes later, a patterned knock came at the door. Kihyun automatically knew it was Minhyuk.

“Come in,” Kihyun called out.

Minhyuk’s head peaked in and when he saw Kihyun, he grinned and entered, running and jumping up onto the bed. It jostled the plates.

“Are you alright?” Minhyuk said, looking him over. “You look good.”

“So do you,” Kihyun shot back. Minhyuk definitely got laid last night. His eyes were shining.

Minhyuk waggled his brows. “Terlesia is treating me far better than you.”

Kihyun popped a grape in his mouth, handing the vine to Minhyuk.

Minhyuk took it, but didn’t eat. “So, what happened last night? I was really worried, but Ignatious said Captain Son had it under control. Did you guys-?” Minhyuk set the grapes down and made an entirely unnecessary gesture with his hands and fingers.

“No,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk frowned, brows drawing together. “He just left you?” he asked in disbelief.

Kihyun shook his head. “I tried to take care of it on my own, but couldn’t. Oh, my god, Min, it hurt so badly. He helped when it got to be too much.”

Minhyuk widened his eyes in expectation. He rolled his hand, waiting for him to expand.

Kihyun blushed and raised two fingers.

Minhyuk grinned excitedly. “Captain Son, here to save the day. Was it awesome?”

“No? Not really. And, yes?” Kihyun reached out and pulled the cart closer to make a cup of coffee.

“I was in so much pain, but at the same time it felt really good. But, Min, the whole thing was so messed up.”

“Still, he took care of you. He was there for you,” Minhyuk checked.

“Yes. I don’t know what would have happened if he wasn’t here,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk hummed thoughtfully. “So, do you believe me now? He likes you.”

“He said he finds me attractive, but we’re only playing a game here. He probably finds half the ship attractive. _I_ find half the men on the ship attractive. It doesn’t mean much at the end of the day.”

Minhyuk raised his hands like he was trying not to strangle him. “How can you be so smart and so stupid at the same time? When this misunderstanding happened last night, I thought my work was done for me and wouldn’t have to lift a finger. I can see I was mistaken.”

Kihyun opened his mouth to argue.

“No.” Minhyuk held up a finger. “You may find half the ship attractive, but don’t kid yourself. We both know it’s not the same thing. You don’t have hearts in your eyes when you look at other men. You don’t touch yourself to thoughts of other men.”

Kihyun scoffed. “How would you know?”

Minhyuk gave him a look. “Well, do you?”

Kihyun didn’t respond.

“That’s what I thought,” Minhyuk remarked.

Minhyuk sighed sadly. “Kihyun, babe, why are you fighting this? It could be so good for you. Whether you realize it or not, you have been looking for love from the moment I met you. You crave it so badly, you put your trust in people who don’t deserve it. Now, there is a man who can fulfill what you’ve been waiting for and you’re turning away. Why?”

“I’m not turning away, I-”

The shower turned off.

Kihyun lowered his voice. “Min, I can’t talk about this here. I’m having a hard enough time wrapping my mind around this sham. Touching him. Being touched by him. It’s confusing and wonderful and cruel. I’m terrified about what it’s going to be like when we get back on the ship.”

Minhyuk’s eyes softened. “Fine. I get it. It’s probably not the best time to get all schmoopy. I don’t want to make this harder on you, but this isn’t over,” Mihyuk said.

Seeing the distress on Kihyun’s face, Minhyuk sought to lighten the mood. He smiled evilly. “Want me to tell you what you missed out on last night? Holy shit, Starfleet produces the kinkiest sons of bitches ever.”

Kihyun’s face lit up, all ears. “What?”

“Veigh rode Hoseok right on the couch. She just hopped right on and took him home. This was while he was talking to Hollyean, mind you.”

Kihyun’s mouth dropped. ‘Hoseok!’

“And, I don’t know what’s up with Jooheon. He’s like catnip to all the women here. He was shy at first, but after a while, all those ladies hovering over him wore him down, stripped him, ended up on the floor behind the couch. Too many woman on him to see what the fuck was happening.” Minhyuk stopped and pursed his lips. “I hope he’s alive.”

“Hyungwon’s two Shia were so sweet with him, massaged him the whole night until he fell asleep. Then, their massages finally made it to the goods.” Minkhyuk laughed. “I think both Hyungwon and not so little Hyungwon woke up for the first time all day. They took him out and fucking devoured him. Poor man couldn’t be embarrassed if he tried. They were relentless.”

“But, Changkyun?” Minhyuk blushed. “A fucking stallion. He and Julius escaped behind an alcove with these sheer hangings that were completely useless in my opinion. Pounded Julius into smithereens. That poor man. Holy fuck. And, he did not stop. It just went on and on to the point Julius couldn’t even cry out anymore. I kid you not, there were cheers when they left the alcove.” 

“I think I might be grateful I missed all this,” Kihyun said.

“Oh, no. It was a good time. It really wasn’t all that weird. Everyone’s so into their own thing, you forget about the watchful eyes.”

Kihyun gave him a look. “You seemed to see everything.”

Minhyuk shrugged. “Well, I’m a perv. You know this.”

Kihyun nodded lovingly. “Yes, I do.”

Kihyun took a sip of coffee. “And, what did you get up to last night? You’re sparkling this morning.”

Minhyuk moaned blissfully. “Levania is a great hostess. When things died down, she led me to the harem where the Shia stay when they're not in service.” Minhyuk grinned smugly. “I only got to see my room an hour ago.”

Minhyuk’s grin turned fond. “But, do you want to know my favorite moment of the night?”

“What?” Kihyun smiled, happy to see Minhyuk so happy.

“You and Hyunwoo. The way you kissed his finger. Ugh. It was so fucking romantic. What was that?”

Kihyun flushed. “You saw that?”

“Babe, everyone saw that. You were like...transcended,” Minhyuk said.

Kihyun grimaced then put his mug on the cart, chewing his lip. “I don’t know. Looking back, it must have been the wine kicking in. It was strange, like my body was humming. Every cell in my body, even my mind, was so ‘ _on_.’ Does that make sense?”

Minhyuk shook his head around, unsure. “Yes. Maybe? No, not really, but that’s okay.”

Kihyun slouched forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Before the whole raging hard-on from hell, for a brief moment, I thought maybe it was Hyunwoo.”

“Maybe it was,” Minhyuk said, taking a sip from Kihyun’s mug. “Only one way to find out.”

Hyunwoo walked out with a towel tied around his waist. He rubbed a smaller towel against his hair as he spotted them on the bed and smiled.

“Good morning, Dr. Lee,” Hyunwoo said, pulling his suitcase onto the table and unzipping it.

“Lookin’ good, Captain Son,” Minhyuk called out, whistling. 

Hyunwoo acknowledged him with a nod.

“Thanks for taking care of my baby last night.” Minhyuk slipped off the bed and took an egg tart.

“Minhyuk,” Kihyun groaned.

Hyunwoo smirked. “For the duration of this trip, Minhyuk, he’s my baby.”

Minhyuk beamed, backing up to the door. “Yes, Sir,” he saluted. “I’ll leave him in your very capable fingers.” 

“Oh!” Minhyuk brought his hand to his lips innocently. “I mean, hands.”

The door clicked behind him.

Hyunwoo turned around and propped himself up at the edge of the table. The towel pulled down alarmingly low. He raised a brow. “Is there anything you two don’t share?”

“Not really.” Kihyun stared, transfixed by the trail of hair leading under the towel.

“Oh, dear. Is he at it again? Distracting you?” Hyunwoo said. 

Kihyun hid his face behind his hands in despair. “Oh, god. I’m going to need to transfer to a different ship.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “No need. I’ll put him away.” He turned around and dropped the towel, his muscular backside on display as he rifled through the suitcase.

“Hyunwoo!”

“Something wrong?” He called over his shoulder, then pulled on light gray boxer briefs and walked over to him.

Kihyun swallowed, trying so very hard not to look at his captain’s impressive package. It was so....there.

He was utterly screwed. If he didn’t look at his cock, he looked at his strong thighs. If he didn’t look at his thighs, he looked at his muscular torso. If he didn’t look there, he looked at his face, which was quite clearly mocking him. Was there nowhere safe to look? 

Hyunwoo stood at the end of the bed, confident and taking enjoyment from Kihyun’s misery. “Why so bashful? No different from last night. This shouldn’t be anything you haven’t seen before.” He poured a cup of coffee from the cart, adding a splash of cream.

Kihyun glared. “I was a little preoccupied last night.”

“Ah,” Hyunwoo shook his head up and down, like he forgot last night happened at all. “That’s right. Well, get your fill. This is yours for next the twenty-four hours, at least. We’re lovers. You should be very well familiar with my body.”

That would be a lot of fill, Kihyun thought weakly. He always knew Hyunwoo was a big boy but, damn. The bulge was big and heavy, and, shit, Kihyun’s mouth was watering.

Kihyun cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go get ready.”

Hyunwoo took a drink from his mug. “Good idea. There’s a little something on your mouth.”

 _Shit_ , did he actually drool? He wiped at his mouth frantically. A couple crumbs from an apple tart transferred to the back of his hand.

Hyunwoo’s eyes laughed at him.

Kihyun quickly turned and escaped to the bathroom. Why did he feel like some missish school girl? He was a grown-ass, smart, sexy man. He was letting Hyunwoo walk all over him. And more.

He was relieved to be putting on his uniform once again. It made him feel in control. Like the capable, successful doctor he was. Step by step, his confidence returned as he washed up, brushed his teeth, styled his hair and applied a neutral pigment to his eyes.

When he entered the bedroom again, Hyunwoo was thankfully dressed in his uniform, tying his boots.

Kihyun joined him, putting on his own. “What’s the plan for today, Captain?”

“We’ll see the palace with Ignatious and Hollyean. We’re supposed to eat lunch together. Then Dr. Im and I will break apart from the rest of you to meet with Ignatious and the council. After lunch, you are, by all accounts, free. This evening, though? I’ve no idea. I suppose it depends on how our talks go. We might be back at the ship, having failed. Or, we might find ourselves in the lounge again. Time will tell.”

—

The tour of the palace was incredible and long. Kihyun snapped pictures repeatedly. It amused Ignatious to no end, who walked by his side explaining everything in great detail.

Hyunwoo and Hollyean walked behind them with the others.

Hyunwoo side eyed Hollyean. “I feel like we’re intruding,” he joked.

Hollyean laughed. “My husband is very taken in by your...boyfriend? Did I say that correctly?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Hyunwoo confirmed.

Hollyean looked happy. “He was ever so upset last night. Felt awful. Me, too. We definitely won’t be serving your Dr. Yoo any honey wine tonight.”

‘Tonight?’ Hyunwoo thought. That sounded promising. 

“I hope I did not offend your husband last night. I may have lost my composure for a moment,” Hyunwoo confessed.

Hollyean linked her arm in his. “No. The opposite. You protected your love. There is nothing more noble.”

__

After feasting on poultry, cheeses and breads at a banquet set up outside, they split up. Hyunwoo, Changkyun and Ignatious returned to the palace.

Hollyean suggested they see the market and so they did. They all lost their paychecks. For Kihyun, it went towards oils, creams, some silk underwear in rich colors and varying cuts, new sheets, a beautiful antique textbook on Shia etiquette and intricate ivory figurine of two men twined in coitus. 

Hoseok spent his on trying every vendor in the streets. Hyungwon bought an expensive set of carved Terlesian aircraft models. Minhyuk disappeared into a suggestive-looking shop and didn’t emerge until they were headed to the hot springs.

Kihyun needn’t have bothered bringing a swimsuit. Clothing was prohibited. Honestly, after last night, what was there to be shy about? He turned around, quickly shed his uniform, and slipped into the water. The rest followed at a more leisurely, confident pace.

The heated spring soothed his aching muscles, and he sighed in bliss. So did everyone else. Kihyun bit his lip. Having Minhyuk’s context, he figured they all used their body’s extensively last night. There was a moment where they all looked at each other, knowing too much.

“So,” Hoseok said.

“So,” Hyungwon echoed.

“Yeah,” Jooheon trailed off.

Minhyuk rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest, guys. Don’t pretend like you’re not going to willingly do the same thing all over again tonight.”

“I feel like it’s not fair,” Jooheon grumbled. “We all had to have sex out in the open, but Captain and Kihyun get a free pass.”

“A free pass?!” Kihyun sputtered. “By all means, drink the fucking kool-aid tonight and tell me if you consider it a free pass tomorrow.”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t enjoy it, Joobear,” Minhyuk said. “For someone supposedly so bothered about sex in public, you had no problem shouting your feelings to the heavens.”

Hyungwon laughed.

Jooheon glared. “Whatever, Sleeping Beauty. One ‘o’ and you’re down for the count?”

Hyungwon shrugged, unbothered. “One is normal. You might have a short refractory period, but you sure don’t last long. It’s no wonder you were able to accommodate so many ladies on your turbolift.”

Hoseok’s mouth opened in silent laughter.

Jooheon raised his brow. “That’s the exact face you make when you come, you know.”

Hoseok’s mouth snapped shut.

“Wow,” Kihyun whispered, looking around.

“Stop being babies,” Minhyuk said. “We’re all young, virile men. Nothing to be ashamed of. Honestly, I feel quite closer to all of you now. Look at where we are, where we were last night. We’re the first humans to be here. We’re the first humans to experience their world. Would you really trade this to be back on the ship right now?”

“No,” they said.

“Then, be cool,” Minhyuk admonished.

Normality settled over them as they talked and relaxed.

The time ticked by and with all signs pointing to another night in the lounge, stress wormed its way throughout Kihyun’s body.

“Guys?” Kihyun interrupted.

They all looked at him.

Kihyun swallowed. “I-,” Kihyun pressed his pruned fingers over his eyes then dropped them back into the water.

“If we find ourselves in the lounge again tonight and things become heavy...I mean, I know they said there were no expectations, but there obviously were. Expectations that you all met. But, if it happens again, it’s me and Captain. Not that we’re going to-,” Kihyun sunk further into the water, frustrated. “Shit, I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

“We’ll steer clear,” Hyungwon said. “Give you privacy, at least from us.” 

“Thank you,” Kihyun said gratefully.

They made their way back to the palace as the sun was setting and when they entered the front door, Gilda and Julius were waiting.

Julius smiled. “Did you enjoy the hot springs?”

“Yes, it was heaven,” Hoseok said.

Gilda smiled proudly. “The lounge opens in a little over an hour. You may take this time to relax in your rooms and freshen up. If you require help, please let us know.”

Apparently, everyone needed help and Shia came forward to pull the others up the stairs with suggestive smiles. Kihyun left to go up the stairs himself, but Julius caught his wrist. 

“Not you. You’re with us. Captain Son has expressed his desire to see you in our silks again,” Julius explained.

Kihyun’s eyes widened, heart racing. “He did?”

Gilda nodded. “Come. We’ll help you.” 

Julius led him up the stairs. “This will be so much fun. We didn’t have any time with you last night.”

That is how Kihyun came to find himself in the Shia powder room for a second night in a row. This time, they set him in a bath, as if he wasn’t pruned enough already. They scrubbed and exfoliated every inch of him with salts and sugars, treated his hair, laid him down on a fluffy towel and massaged spicy vanilla oil into his skin. He could have fallen asleep right then and there, and he pouted when they pulled him up and over to the wardrobe.

“I put this aside for you earlier. I think you will look lovely, but if you do not like it, we'll try something else,” Gilda said.

The teddy she handed him was not silk, but black lace and mesh.

Kihyun choked on his own spit. “Gilda, this is too much-”

“At least, try it on. Aren't you curious?”

He was, and, in the privacy of his own quarters, he probably would have loved donning this provocative scrap of lace and rubbing one out, but in front of Hyunwoo and everyone? That was a different story. He couldn't imagine being on Hyunwoo's lap in the bodysuit. It was a thong teddy. His ass would be directly on Hyunwoo's warm, strong thighs. And, while it was high-necked like a halter, it was completely see-through. The whole way down.

Kihyun bit his lip. Still, trying it on wouldn't hurt anything. It was beautiful.

He nodded and put his legs into the openings, moving it up his body and sliding the cross back straps over his shoulders. They settled in place just at the curve of his neck.

Kihyun exhaled deeply, running his hands up his front and looking down at the teddy. His cock and balls fit fine, though they pressed snuggly up against him, his length trapped between the lace and his belly. The effect was rather lewd, but thrilling. He ran his hands over his stomach and upwards where the lace split into a keyhole cut from below his ribs up to his neck. He ran the back of his hand down his back, feeling the straps intersect before running over the stretch of lace at his lower back, where it disappeared down his crack. 

“You love it,” Julius stated.

“Yes, but that's beside the point.”

“Then, we'll slip this on over it. Technically, you're not wearing silk yet.” She slipped his arms into a short ruby silk robe that cut off just below his ass and with half sleeves. She tied it around his waist. “See? All covered. Your captain can unwrap and wrap you as he deems fit.”

Their artistic hands worked on his face as they chatted about the day. Apparently, many Shia were present at the meeting today, caring for the masters, remaining available for any needs they may have.

“The council members were very interested in you, kept peppering poor Captain Son with questions about you during the breaks. Your Bemonian characteristics, especially,” Julius said. “He must be very protective of you, always skillfully steering the conversation in another direction. It's peculiar. Normally, a master would shout and boast and display their lover's attributes and skills to the heavens. Your captain didn't have a peep to say. Is that typical for earthlings?”

Kihyun nodded. “Yes, to an extent. For example, I am likely to brag about Captain’s achievements, skills and kindness. Things that happen in the bedroom? That’s private.”

Julius and Gilda shared a look. It gave Kihyun an uneasy feeling.

“Did the talks not go well today?”

“They were successful. King Ignatious and the council are agreeable.”

“Oh. Then...,” Kihyun trailed off, wondering what was wrong.

“Don’t frown. Tonight is a celebration. Terlesia will move forward and join the United Federation of Planets. It’s just, I think Captain Son may have lost face with some members of the court. But, it’s not a big deal, you will depart in the morning,” Gilda said.

“Lost face because of me,” Kihyun prodded.

“No, not because of you,” Julius assured. “The captain is only acting the way he is accustomed to acting, and our people do not understand. They draw incorrect conclusions. The fact that he does not divulge or show his prowess, or yours, for that matter, implies a certain...inaptitude, as a lover, as a man, as a leader.”

Kihyun scowled, his fist clenched and unclenched. He was outraged on the captain’s behalf. It was one thing for him and the crew to jest or make fun of the captain, they respected and adored him. It was an entirely different thing for anybody else to do it. 

“But, that’s not true,” Kihyun countered hotly.

“Don’t get upset. Nothing was said, and nobody would be uncouth enough to say it at all. It’s only an undercurrent,” Julius gently replied.

“We shouldn’t have said anything,” Gilda said with concerned eyes. “Kitten, you accomplished what you set out to do here. You are all leaving tomorrow, victorious. Who cares what they think?”

“I do,” Kihyun said vehemently, jaw set.

“Please forget we said anything. It’s your last night here. We want you to enjoy yourself. ‘Eat, drink, and be merry.’ Isn’t that a saying of yours?” Julius soothed.

“Yes,” Kihyun said, but it was clipped.

“May I have a glass of wine, please?” Kihyun asked.

“Red wine,” he clarified.

‘So, they all thought Captain Son Hyunwoo was a lesser man than them, did they?’ Kihyun mused darkly. 

Kihyun smiled dangerously as Gilda began drying his locks. He’d show them all. Show them all just how fucking weak he went for Hyunwoo. How Hyunwoo could undo him with just a look. That wasn’t an act.

He tilted his chin up. Besides, this was a matter of Starfleet pride. The Newton's name and honor were at stake. They had the best captain in the fleet and he’d be damned if anyone else thought otherwise.

Additionally, he'd yet to take advantage of anything on their list. This could be his last chance, and so help him God, he planned to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was like pulling teeth, sorry for the delay. I'll try to be speedier with the next chapter.


	13. Terlesia Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And, the conclusion of our Terlesian side quest. Thank fucking God.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested, you can see the inspiration of Kihyun's lingerie here. Clothes, it turns out, are really difficult to describe. 
> 
> https://www.victoriassecret.com/newarrivals/shop-all-new-arrivals-mobile/keyhole-lace-teddy-very-sexy?ProductID=425016&CatalogueType=OLS

Kihyun spotted Minhyuk and Hoseok standing at open French doors leading to an indoor garden. Breaking away from Gilda and Julius, he accepted another glass of wine from an attendant and made his way over, bare feet passing over the warm, marbled floor and soft furs. Again, tonight, he appeared to be a topic of curiosity in the feminine attire, heads turning to watch him pass by.

His body felt strange, both nervous and titillated, with the knowledge of exactly what lay under the red silk. He was acutely aware of how every inch of the lingerie lay on him and pressed into him: the long straps crossing his back, the string between his cheeks, the high-legged cut allowing the red silk to glide against his hips and ass. And, nobody knew it but him. He wasn’t trying to walk any differently, but it felt like he was moving too sensuously, like when a catchy song comes on and you find yourself walking to the beat without meaning to. The lingerie, the promise of Hyunwoo, it was turning him on, sensitizing him to the point he felt he was being touched right now. He felt so sexy it seemed to flow into his every move, buzzing over his skin with each step forward. He prayed that it was all in his head and that he wasn't walking as seductively as he felt he was.

His breaths were far too quick with excitement. He was already horny and briefly thought about changing course and finding Hyunwoo instead when Hoseok caught his approach and raised a hand. 

‘There goes that.’ Kihyun closed the distance and joined them.

Hoseok eyed the black lace visible over the v of the robe. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“Not much,” Kihyun deadpanned, taking a healthy sip from his glass, attempting to sooth his nerves and relax.

Minhyuk angled Kihyun towards him and whipped the front open in his hands, perusing the goods. “Damn, Ki. Where’s your camera when you need it?”

Minhyuk carefully tied him back up, patting the bow with wide eyes, then leaned around him to lift the back of his robe between his thumb and finger, checking. “Are you trying to kill our captain? Is this some twisted form of mutiny?”

Kihyun made a face. “I know. It’s too much. Hence, the robe.”

Hoseok squinted eyes at him doubtfully. “Hate to burst your bubble, Kihyun, but you look like a present waiting to be torn open on Christmas morning. Whatever that is, isn't staying secret for long. Solving a good mystery is one of Captain’s favorite pastimes. Trust me, as his best friend, he’ll be itching to get to the bottom of this one.”

Kihyun blushed and changed the subject. “What are you guys doing hiding over here? I would have thought you’d all be making the most of your last night, especially you, Min. All the fun with no strings.”

“I’m not hiding. I’m cooling off. Recharging,” Hoseok explained.

“You are literally standing behind a potted tree right now,” Kihyun said.

Hoseok smiled sheepishly.

Minhyuk groaned. “I need a breather. They don’t let up. I’m not complaining, but I’m only human. This body can only take so much,” Minhyuk said. “Maybe if you could sneak me a glass of that honey wine...” He looked surreptitiously at Kihyun.

“The last thing this world needs is you on vine de Viagra,” Kihyun replied.

A young courtier deep in his cups abruptly stumbled into their circle, standing in front of Kihyun with a salacious grin and cutting off Hoseok and Minhyuk.

Kihyun waited expectantly for the man to say something, wondering what the hell the man was about. He glanced over the courtier’s shoulder to the others, who appeared just as nonplussed.

“My friends and I have been discussing it all day,” the young courtier began with a slight slur, jerking his thumb towards some young men at a cluster of sofas, watching them. Surprisingly, or, not surprisingly, there were no Shia among them.

“We think it’d be a real shame for you to leave Terlesia without a proper fucking. We could give you a real Terlesian send off,” the man said smugly, reaching out to touch Kihyun’s sash.

Kihyun batted his hand away as if warding off a mosquito.

The courtier held his hands up, pacifying him condescendingly. “I’m sure your captain wouldn’t mind. I mean no offense, but Lord knows, he doesn’t know what to do with you and I so hate to see a beautiful creature go to waste. Really, we’d be doing him a favor. You’d be out of commission for days.”

Kihyun looked at him lamely. This was disgustingly pathetic.

The man licked his lips, eyes traveling from Kihyun’s legs up to his ass. He palmed himself confidently, like it was somehow enticing for Kihyun. “We all have so much we want to give you.”

Hoseok stepped directly behind the man and his crossed arms bumped his back. “You’re about to be out of commission for life if you don’t walk away right now,” he said, the casual undertone at odds with the treat.

The courtier turned around and his eyes bugged looking at Hoseok. “I-,” he swallowed. “I meant no harm. We’re all friends here. It’s only an offer of goodwill.”

“And, I’m offering you the chance to leave this conversation unscathed, friend to friend,” Hoseok stressed with a hard smile. He raised his brow as if to ask, ‘What the hell are you still doing here?’ and the man tucked tail, walking back to his group, looking over his shoulder several times to ensure Hoseok wasn’t following him.

“I could have handled it, Hoseok,” Kihyun said without heat. He tipped the glass and swallowed until he finished.

“Eh, don’t ruin my fun,” he said with a grin, watching the man hightail it back to his group. 

“What was that about, anyway? He have a problem with Captain?” Hoseok asked and, like a good best friend and First Officer, scanned the lounge until he had eyes on Hyunwoo, ensuring he was in one piece.

“No,” Kihyun answered dismissively, following Hoseok’s eyes to the Captain at the end of the room. He should have known, Captain _would_ be by the food.

He looked back at Hoseok with a cynical expression. “It’s nothing.” There was no reason for anyone else to know of Captain Son’s undeserved reputation around here.

“Just another cock welding species with the irrepressible urge to bandy them about in order to feel like a bigger man. We may as well be home,” Kihyun said with a sly grin.

Minhyuk clinked his glass to Kihyun’s empty one. “Comforting to see some things never change,” he jested fondly.

—

Hyunwoo was standing several feet away from the table with several council members amidst a discussion on fuels when pale arms wrapped around him from behind. Kihyun dropped a kiss between his shoulder blades as he pressed himself firmly against his back.

Hyunwoo acknowledged Kihyun’s presence, caressing down the smooth length of his forearm to his clasped hands. He tugged lightly at them, encouraging him to come around, but Kihyun held onto him tighter. 

Hyunwoo smiled. 

“Dr. Yoo, you’ve recovered, I trust?” Councilman Ames asked.

Kihyun brushed his lips at the base of Hyunwoo’s neck and peaked over his shoulder. “Yes, thank you. Captain worked it all out of me,” he said.

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened marginally.

“Did you enjoy the afternoon, baby?” Hyunwoo asked, stroking his arm.

“Mm-hmm. Missed you, though,” Kihyun murmured. He moved his hands down to the hem of Hyunwoo's uniform and slipped them under, feeling the hard plane of his abs under his fingers and palms. Hyunwoo was warm and solid under his hands and Kihyun sighed, wishing he could feel the weight of Hyunwoo over him.

This time, Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s wandering hand firmly in his own and tugged him out from behind. 

Kihyun followed, being pulled to stand in front of him, and looked up at Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo’s heart raced. “You are so beautiful,” he said, taking him in.

Heat crept up the back of Hyunwoo’s neck looking down at Kihyun. A delighted pink stained Kihyun's cheeks from the compliment, charcoal rimmed eyes mooning upwards on a smile. His lips were shaded a dusty red, giving the impression they'd been abused, sucked and bitten. If that's the color Kihyun was going for, he could have done that for him.

Hyunwoo took his face between his hands and glided them back through the slippery locks of chocolate hair. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Kihyun's in a deliberative, but swift kiss and pulled back.

Kihyun licked his buzzing lips. He wasn't even given a chance to respond before Hyunwoo pulled away. 

Hyunwoo watched the red silk rise and fall against Kihyun's chest as his breath quickened. “You haven't had that wine again, have you?”

Kihyun swallowed and shook his head. “No.” 

Kihyun berated himself. If he felt wobbly from a peck, how the hell was he going to take control of the evening?

Of one thing, he was certain. He wouldn't get to do any of the things he wanted standing around the refreshment table. With them leaving in the morning, every minute in the lounge counted. There wouldn't be an excuse to continue anything upstairs. Time was ticking, and after two glasses of wine, he was feeling warm and tipsy, and daring.

He turned to the councilmen and smiled coquettishly. “Do you mind if I steal him? You've had him all day,” Kihyun inquired.

They grinned. “By all means,” Ames replied.

Hyunwoo quirked a brow. ‘What's gotten into him?’

“Have you eaten?” Hyunwoo asked.

A flash of annoyance crossed Kihyun’s face. He backed up three feet and randomly grabbed a bread puff from the table, popped it into his mouth and said, “Yes.”

Hyunwoo bit his cheek, amused. “Do I detect a note of defiance in your tone, Dr. Yoo?” he inquired.

Kihyun shifted his feet. “No, Sir,” he said.

“I didn't think so,” Hyunwoo said. “Make a plate.”

Kihyun tried not to pout as he turned around and selected items for dinner. He didn't want to eat. He wanted to experience Hyunwoo, kiss him, touch him, smell him, hold him.

He turned around with his plate and held it out to Hyunwoo for inspection, showcasing the plate with extreme fanfare. 

“Happy?” Kihyun quipped. If his eyes reflected his irritation, he couldn't help it.

“Keep it up. I dare you,” Hyunwoo countered, but took the plate in one hand and Kihyun’s hand in the other, making their way to an empty couch in the middle of the room.

The second they sat down, Hyunwoo was approached by more courtiers, who made themselves comfortable in the surrounding loveseats and chairs. They pulled him into a debate on force field technologies.

Kihyun couldn't contribute if he tried. So, he sat back with a sigh, the plate on his lap, and ate. And, finished. And, waited.

After a while, he tucked his fidgeting hands under his thighs and mentally cursed every person in the group while trying to hold a serene expression. Why talk about impenetrability when Kihyun was trying his damndest to get penetrated? This was the most unsexy and boring conversation Kihyun had ever been privy to.

He received another glass of wine from a sympathetic Shia. At least, somebody understood him.

Hyunwoo's hand found his and squeezed understandingly, but continued the conversation, which had shifted to lasers. The only lasers Kihyun knew about were the ones he used to cut people open with, or correct vision with, or manipulate cells with. Really, Kihyun knew a lot about lasers, just not the chaotic, destructive ones they were talking about. He fixed things, he didn’t demolish them.

After thirty minutes and no sign of any conclusion, Kihyun stretched out sideways on the couch and laid his head on Hyunwoo's lap, facing him. Maybe the courtiers would take a hint. It wasn’t likely, Kihyun thought dramatically.

He finally understood why the others banished Minhyuk and him from the cafeteria table whenever they got excited about this bacteria or that rate of cell reproduction. It was fucking annoying.

Hyunwoo glanced down briefly with a smile, resting one hand at his side and the other at the back of his head. He moved his fingers in calming caresses as he returned to the fray.

Kihyun pouted. It was all well and sweet, but he didn’t want to be calmed by Hyunwoo. He wanted to be riled up, ravaged, grabbed, groped, squeezed, kissed, used, anything but soothed.

After staring at Hyunwoo’s crotch not six inches away from his face for the past fifteen minutes, and remembering how well he filled those briefs this morning, Kihyun decided it was time to make a move. Fuck lasers. He’d been patiently waiting for an hour. A wasted hour he’d never get back.

He closed the distance and pressed his face into the bulge. Hyunwoo’s thighs stiffened for a second. A shiver ran down Kihyun’s spine as he tried to smell him, nullified by the layers between them.

The conversation halted for a moment then continued. Kihyun felt he was being watched by the group, but he couldn’t give a shit when confronted with Hyunwoo’s cock.

At first, he was content to have his face pressed against Hyunwoo, to nuzzle his nose and lips against him, but after a while it wasn't enough anymore, the position restricting him from all Hyunwoo had to offer.

‘Which was a lot,’ Kihyun reminded himself.

Barely lifting his face from Hyunwoo, he re-situated himself on the floor in between Hyunwoo’s legs. His palms rested on the tops of Hyunwoo's thighs as he fully pushed his face into Hyunwoo, feeling his cock and balls as he moved his face side to side in little rubs over him as if he could cover himself in Hyunwoo's essence if he only tried hard enough.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo groaned, thighs spreading wider. He slid his fingers into his hair, officially distracted.

The bulge was stiffening against his face and it was driving him crazy. He couldn't smell him. The damn pants dulled the heat he was radiating.

Still trying to breathe him in, he lifted from his mostly seated position until he was bent over on his knees. His back arched as he thought of what it would be like to taste him or to be filled by him in any orifice.

Kihyun felt the air on his ass. Bent over like this, he was flashing everybody, but it was too good to stop. He opened his mouth along the length and pressed his tongue at the firmness. He moaned, frustrated with the fabric blocking him. Nosing down to his balls, Kihyun opened his mouth again, laving at the material over them, imagining how they would feel on his tongue, in his mouth. 

He was losing himself in this and he slipped his hands down the inside of Hyunwoo’s thighs, under them, and to the outside of his thighs, so he could pull Hyunwoo closer to him.

Hyunwoo exhaled harshly. He let Kihyun drag him slightly down the seat for better access and anchor him in place with his arms wrapped around his thighs. Anchor him? Fuck, like there was anything that could get him to move or leave right now.

Kihyun was a damn vision, moving his mouth over him, wetting his pants with licks and sucks, just to rub his face over the material a second later. Hyunwoo wished he would look up at him, but he was a man possessed, solely focused on his cock. Kihyun’s hips and ass moved enticingly, swiveling and swinging. It was hard to get mad at all the eyes on that ass when he was feeling so fucking good. Did Kihyun even know he was doing it, moving his ass so invitingly? 

Hyunwoo moaned deeply, eyes falling shut as Kihyun got him off with his face of all things. Hyunwoo mouth parted on a silent laugh. Kihyun may be getting him off, but he got the distinct impression that Kihyun was doing this for Kihyun. That made it infinitely hotter.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun moaned against Hyunwoo, rubbing his cheek up and down the shaft. This was everything he’d been wanting, needing for so long. He was fucking restless, his own cock growing taut against his belly, trapped by the teddy. He shuddered, feeling wetness at his tip, and continued to rub his face at Hyunwoo's cock, mouth at it, lick at it. He desperately wanted to taste him and he opened his mouth over the head, coating the material with saliva and lashing his tongue against it. He had the frenzied, wild thought that if he could get Hyunwoo to come, maybe he could suck it through and taste him. That thought set him off, stroking up the cock with his face and mouth with purpose, sucking at the head, pushing his tongue into it. The longer he did it, the harder Hyunwoo became, and it pushed him to try even harder.

With a curse, Hyunwoo's hands came under his arms and pulled him up on top of him. Kihyun's legs settled on either side of him.

Hyunwoo looked at Kihyun with red cheeks, catching his breath. Kihyun looked startled, eyes wide, chest heaving. It was like he woke Kihyun up from a dream.

“Christ, Yoo,” he breathed.

Kihyun lowered his head and was met with the evidence of his cock-crazed meltdown, Hyunwoo’s erection and the damp material of his pants. What the fuck was he doing? Trying to blow him through his pants?

Hyunwoo’s hands slid down to either side of his waist. “You are far more dangerous than you look. Shit, Kihyun. I was thirteen the last time I came in my pants. I’ve no intention of a repeat.”

Kihyun couldn’t meet his eyes and he swallowed, not sure what was wrong with him. He felt discombobulated, eyes narrowing in confusion and shame. He was really going to try and get his captain to come in his pants. He inwardly rolled his eyes. That would have fucking shown everyone.

Hyunwoo hugged Kihyun to him, a hand at his back and head. “I think your definition of nuzzling and mine are very different,” he joked, breathless.

Kihyun dropped his face into crook of his neck. “I'm sorry, Sir.”

Hyunwoo huffed a laugh. “What’s gotten into you tonight?”

“Nothing,” Kihyun said against his neck.

“For someone who was embarrassed about kissing my finger last night, you’ve sure changed your tune,” Hyunwoo said.

“Is that not allowed?” Kihyun asked.

“It is. I suppose I’m wondering what brought it on.”

Kihyun stayed silent at Hyunwoo’s shoulder.

“Kihyun?” Hyunwoo prodded.

‘I just need you so desperately, I can’t think,’ Kihyun thought to himself. He shook his head and tried to pull himself together. It was hard to do, being so close to Hyunwoo.

“I thought we could...” Kihyun wavered. This all seemed so much easier in his mind upstairs. He turned his head just slightly to view some the courtiers in the circle.

“It’s nothing,” Kihyun said. “Gilda may have told me what the court was saying about you this afternoon and I guess I wanted to...I don’t know what I wanted. It just rubbed me the wrong way.”

‘Well, that sure killed the mood,’ Hyunwoo thought darkly. He found himself becoming more than a little pissed at Kihyun, not to mention, disappointed in him. Did he come down here intending to spread legs so Hyunwoo could get a few pats on the back? That wasn’t Kihyun.

Hyunwoo lowered his voice and looked intently into Kihyun’s eyes. “You can keep your hands to yourself if that’s what this is about. I don’t want to and neither am I going to touch you to prove some idiotic point about my aptitude or lack thereof. Jesus, Kihyun. We’re pretending to be couple, not vying for a gold medal in fucking. Were you just going to bend over for me out here so I get their approval? Was that the plan?”

Kihyun didn’t really know what to say to that. It kinda was the plan. All he knew was that the rejection stung.

Hyunwoo’s mouth fell open at Kihyun’s silence. He had been sincerely hoping he was wrong. “You were, weren’t you?” Hyunwoo roughly ran a hand down face in shock. “Wow, Kihyun, I don’t even know to where begin.”

“Then don’t,” Kihyun snipped waspishly, using anger to cover the hurt. 

Hyunwoo drew back in surprise, looking at Kihyun like was insane. “Oh. _You’re_ getting pissed? That’s rich. I’m the one you’ve disrespected. Just what kind of man do you think I am that I would want you to debase yourself on my account?”

 _‘Debase?!’_ Kihyun’s hands curled into fists on the tops of his thighs. How did this get so out of hand so quickly? 

“Let’s get something straight here, Kihyun. I don’t know where you get off making the decision for me that we’re going to put on a show for the sake of my reputation. That’s not your call. That’s not even my call. It would have been our call. And, in case you haven’t picked up on it by now, I have no interest in defending my manhood like some insecure adolescent.”

Kihyun’s eyes flitted about Hyunwoo’s chest as his words sunk in. His brow furrowed with the truth of them.

Kihyun was used to the Captain's disappointment, not Hyunwoo's. He felt ashamed because up in the powder room his plan was exactly that: to come down here and get Hyunwoo to fuck him, to put on a show. He never had any intentions of talking about it with Hyunwoo. He was just going to try and pull it out of him: get him turned on, get him hard, slip off his teddy enticingly for Hyunwoo and the room, assume the position, and then...

It never occured to him that Hyunwoo might not want to. It didn’t even occur to him to ask, and...that was real shitty of him.

Shame festered further under his skin because he knew he was using this as an excuse for his own selfish desires. He wanted Hyunwoo. It was as simple and clear-cut as that, and he was polluting it with bullshit. To save Captain’s reputation? What a fucking joke. Kihyun was using a few courtiers’ snide remarks as justification to do what he wanted. He was a first-class asshole.

Suddenly, Hyunwoo’s fingers were in his hair, cupping the sides of his face, and looking at him in concern. “Kihyun? What do you need? I can take you upstairs or...,” Hyunwoo asked softly.

Kihyun was confused by the question until he noticed that his vision was blurry. When he blinked, the tears had the audacity to roll down his cheeks. Why the fuck was he crying? What was he, five?! Horrified, he wiped them away roughly and blinked the rest back.

Kihyun shook his head. “I’m fine.” He gave him a watery smile that Hyunwoo wasn’t buying.

Hyunwoo brought Kihyun’s head to rest on his shoulder and he hugged the man to him, running his hands up and down his back. Kihyun turned his face into his neck.

“Why are you crying?” Hyunwoo asked gently.

“I’m an asshole,” Kihyun confessed, miserable with the truth of it.

Hyunwoo huffed. “Hey. It’s not as bad as all that,” Hyunwoo hushed. “You may be a lot of things, but an asshole is not one of them.”

They sat there like that for a long while, silent and contemplative as Hyunwoo rubbed his back. Hyunwoo hated this. His last two relationships were frauds. Technically, this one was, too. The difference was, he wasn’t accustomed caring.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo murmured, holding him tightly. “I don’t care about what any of them think. I care about what you think.”

Kihyun snuck his arms between the back of the couch and Hyunwoo to hug him back. He debated on coming clean with him.

Goddamnit, Min was right, he was a complete chickenshit. Why couldn’t he just be honest? With himself. With Hyunwoo. At the very least, Hyunwoo deserved the truth.

Hyunwoo was running fingers through his hair when he lifted his head up, determined to do this, and looked into Hyunwoo’s eyes for a grand total of five seconds. Then, metaphorically choked and put his head back down. Maybe Min was right about him being scared, but he was wrong about him not being a coward.

“Hey, Kihyun. Let me take you upstairs. This isn’t right. You’re upset,” Hyunwoo said. “Come on. I’ll carry you up. Everyone will assume we’re retiring for the night to be with each other. It’ll be fine.” Hyunwoo wrapped his arms around Kihyun’s lower back, preparing to lift up.

In a snap decision, Kihyun gripped the back of the sofa with both hands on either side of Hyunwoo’s shoulders, stopping his momentum. Hyunwoo dropped back to his seat with a small ‘oof.’

“It was a lie.” Kihyun stopped hiding and pulled back to look at Hyunwoo, hands still gripping the back of the sofa by Hyunwoo’s shoulders.

Hyunwoo looked back at him, confused. 

Kihyun’s mouth parted dumbly for a moment before he pushed himself to say something. “I mean, it does bother me, what they said about you, but...that was only a small part of it. I want to touch you. Last night was so...,” Kihyun looked upwards, trying to find the right word, but falling short, “so heady, before it turned awful. All I really wanted was to continue what could have happened last night. The truth is, I want you to touch me so badly it hurts.” 

Hyunwoo closed his eyes. “I really wish you led with that.”

“Have I ruined everything?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes softened, but he sighed wearily. “This place. I really hate seeing you here.”

Kihyun frowned. “Do you want me to leave?”

“Honestly? Yes. I can’t stand the way they view you here, like all you have to offer is sex. Everyone’s expertise and accomplishments have been recognized by them: Minhyuk’s, Hyungwon’s, Changkyun’s, Hoseok’s, Jooheon’s. _Everyone’s_ except for your’s. You? You’re a fetish. They look at you and all they see is a possession.”

Kihyun had come to that realization early on the night before, how everyone was drawn into conversations by members of the court about their respective fields, but never him. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. I think that’s why it bothers me so much, what you said earlier. I don’t want you to play into their expectations.”

Kihyun gave a half-smile. They were okay and their altercation was somehow turning out oddly sweet. He looked at Hyunwoo playfully. “So, should I fuck you then?”

Hyunwoo laughed, and Kihyun smiled wider.

Hyunwoo bit his lip, sobering. He traced his fingers along the straps he could feel under the robe. “If you were only there this afternoon, you’d know. You’ve cured diseases, saved thousands, millions with your research. And, you can even tell them this, and all you’ll get back in response is, ‘Do his eyes turn blue when he comes?’ or ‘What does he taste like?’”

Kihyun’s eyes squinted on a smile. “Were you talking me up today, Captain Son?” he teased as butterflies swarmed his stomach. Hyunwoo was championing him this afternoon. He wanted to kiss the ever-living daylights out of him.

“I’m being serious. I can’t wait to get you off this fucking planet,” Hyunwoo said. “If I knew this misunderstanding would lead to you being treated like this, I wouldn’t have let you come.”

“They’re just words, Hyunwoo. It’s not a big deal. I don’t care,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo raised a brow at him. “I could say the same thing to you,” he replied.

Kihyun looked away, chagrinned, and smoothed his hands down Hyunwoo’s front before looking back slyly. “So, really, we both tried to rescue each other today. Is that what you’re saying?”

Hyunwoo thought about that for a moment. “Maybe,” he admitted.

“Hmm.” Kihyun shifted on his lap. “Maybe instead of getting me off this fucking planet, you should just get me off,” Kihyun said, leaning forward to lick his neck and nestle in.

Hyunwoo smiled despite himself. “You are like a dog with a bone, you know that?”

Kihyun opened his mouth then shook his head. “Too easy, Captain.”

Hyunwoo picked up one of the straps through the robe and snapped it. “And, how would you like to get off?”

“With your bone,” Kihyun whispered hotly into his ear.

“That might be kind of hard-”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Kihyun grinned.

Hyunwoo snapped the strap harder. “- _considering_ our agreement,” he finished, trying not to laugh. Hyunwoo internally groaned. This little troublemaker needed to be put in his place. Hyunwoo wouldn’t survive this if he let him run wild.

Kihyun rolled his eyes at Hyunwoo’s neck. “Forget about the agreement.”

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo warned.

Kihyun rubbed his ass on Hyunwoo’s thighs. “Come on, Hyunwoo. Can’t we forget about everything and have fun? Aren’t we celebrating a job well done?”

Hyunwoo pried Kihyun's face from his neck until he was sitting up straight and eye level with him. “Oh, you’ll have fun tonight, but our agreement stands. That’s nonnegotiable. Now, what were your terms, Kihyun?”

He said it in his captain’s voice and it make Kihyun weak, butterflies multiplying. He honestly really did want Hyunwoo to bend him over and take him right here. Eyes be damned.

“Straddling, touching and kissing, Sir.”

“Good, I don't think I can handle any more of your unique brand of ‘nuzzling.’” 

Hyunwoo played with the sash holding his robe together. “And, what were mine?”

Heat swept down Kihyun's body and he looked past Hyunwoo to the far wall. 

“Eyes on me, Dr. Yoo.”

Kihyun was feeling so fragile, like he could collapse forward into Hyunwoo and crumble into a million pieces. He couldn't blame it on the honey wine tonight, either.

With great effort, Kihyun met Hyunwoo's stare. “Touching, Sir.”

“Where?” Hyunwoo grinned.

“Anywhere you want, Sir,” he said. His thighs jerked at Hyunwoo’s sides.

“And?”

“Kissing and,-” Kihyun licked his lips, excitement coursing through his veins, “-teasing, Sir.”

Hyunwoo smiled slowly. “Good.”

Switching gears, Hyunwoo slid the man back a bit and ran his eyes over him suspiciously. “Now, what the hell are you wearing under this?”

Kihyun smacked his lips together slowly. “Something, Sir.”

“Show me,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun untied the robe with less grace than he would have hoped, fingers shaking.

Hyunwoo's hand came over his. “You okay?”

Kihyun swallowed. “Yes.”

Hyunwoo dropped his hand to rest on Kihyun's thigh.

In a surge of courage, Kihyun let the silk drop from his arms and back. It fell to the floor like a bloodstain between Hyunwoo's feet.

Kihyun's breath picked up, it felt thrillingly dirty being so exposed like this in public. Hyunwoo's intake of breath and heated gaze didn't help matters, either.

“So dangerous,” Hyunwoo murmured. Hyunwoo really wanted to reach forward and cover him back up with the robe, but the exhilaration in Kihyun’s eyes stopped him. Why should all these men and women get to see Kihyun like this? Because, fuck, they were looking. He may as well be naked.

A part of him wanted to pull the jealous, overprotective boyfriend card and whisk him away from their hungry eyes. He didn’t because he was dying to look himself. Kihyun’s trim, lithe body breathed excitedly before him and he took hold of his waist.

Looking at Kihyun, he could tell the man yearned to play. His eyes nearly sparked with it. He pushed his protective instincts to the side. Besides, he told himself, they could look, but they certainly couldn’t touch.

He ran his fingers down the slit, where it began at the hollow of his throat to just above his belly button. “Do you feel pretty?”

Kihyun’s blush darkened further. “Hyunwoo...”

Hyunwoo’s eyes traveled back up to his. “Do you?”

“Yes,” he said, just above a whisper.

Hyunwoo smiled. “Good.”

“You’re already excited,” Hyunwoo noted, drawing a knuckle up his cock through the mesh.

Kihyun gasped. “Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo took each globe of his ass in his hands and squeezed. 

Kihyun’s lips parted as he looked into Hyunwoo's eyes. This was somehow already more intimate than last night on the bed. He leaned forward and placed his face against Hyunwoo’s neck, arching his back and lifting his ass midair for Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo lightly dragged his fingers up and down his cheeks. It tickled and Kihyun lightly bit his neck.

Hyunwoo slapped his ass then smoothed over it with his palm.

Kihyun jolted and gripped his shoulders, the smack unexpected. He couldn't imagine asking for another, so he bit at the meat of his shoulder.

Another resounding smack hit his cheek. 

“Oh!” Kihyun exclaimed involuntarily. That went straight to his cock. Fuck, how did he go from zero to sixty every time Hyunwoo touched him? If he wasn’t careful, he'd soil Hyunwoo's uniform again.

“Are you baiting me, Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asked, amused. “You're not a child, remember? If you want something, you should ask for it.”

Kihyun's hands flexed on his shoulders.

“No?” Hyunwoo asked. “Hmm. I don't know, now one cheek doesn't match the other. Should we even it out, at least?”

“Mm-hmm,” Kihyun said in anticipation.

“Words,” Hyunwoo reminded.

“Yes, Sir.”

A sharp slap landed on his other cheek and Kihyun landed fully back into Hyunwoo's lap. Kihyun lifted his ass up again and not a second later his palm made contact again. Kihyun opened his mouth at Hyunwoo's neck and sucked.

Hyunwoo smoothed his palms down his cheeks before kneading them, playing with globes. He pulled his cheeks apart, exposing him more, then squeezed them back together, jiggled them in his hands, griping the flesh then pulling them around in circles. Kihyun was so completely at his mercy, he could cry, just like his dick was starting to.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun pleaded, no idea what he was pleading for.

“Question, Dr. Yoo. If your anus is so chalked full of nerve endings, isn't wearing a thong problematic?”

“No, Sir,” Kihyun replied, tensing. Only when I’m walking, or it moves against me, or you slap my ass hard enough I clench around it, he added to himself.

Hyunwoo slipped a finger underneath the string. “So, if I were to do this,” Hyunwoo pulled it up. It slid almost roughly against his hole.

Kihyun gasped.

“-would that be problematic?” Hyunwoo asked innocently.

Kihyun tried to shake his head on Hyunwoo's shoulder. “No, Sir.” It sounded like the lie it was.

“That’s a relief. What about this?” He hooked a finger from his other hand around the string at the bottom and pulled it back down then immediately pulled it back up with his other finger. He continued the saw-like motion, assaulting Kihyun's opening with unending drags of the string against his sensitive rim. Kihyun's hips stuttered.

“Is that a problem?”

Kihyun's legs tightened against Hyunwoo's sides and he threw his arms around his neck. “Hyunwoo,” he gasped. It was louder than he intended.

“This is concerning, Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo said, sliding the string up and down, “I hope you don't wear these when you're on duty. Think of the chaos one little string could cause.”

Hyunwoo altered to pulling the string side to side: dragging it down the inside of one ass cheek, across his hole and up the inside of his other ass cheek, then back again.

Kihyun’s breaths puffed at the nape of Hyunwoo’s neck. The string sensitizing his skin and lighting up his nerve endings, a pressure slowly built as Hyunwoo teased him, moving the string agonizingly slow, but it made him feel everything so much more. His toes curled in and out. All at once, it was too much. Kihyun shot to his knees and tightened his arms around Hyunwoo's neck and head, needing it to stop before he came from a fucking string.

Hyunwoo's face was smashed into Kihyun's chest and neck, Kihyun's front pressed up against his torso and chest. Hyunwoo removed his fingers from the thong, petting Kihyun's cheeks, then massaging up and down the backs of his thighs.

“You’ve wet my uniform again, Dr. Yoo.”

Kihyun fell back onto Hyunwoo's lap and held onto his shoulders. Sure enough, Kihyun's desire marked Hyunwoo's shirt. He looked down at himself. The mesh at his stomach glistened with it and the way down to his balls.

Kihyun turned red, mortified. “I’m sorry.”

Hyunwoo smiled wryly and pulled the shirt off, tossing it to the other end of the couch. “It's only fair, considering your state of undress.”

“How magnanimous,-” Kihyun faltered off as he looked down, looking like a kid in a candy shop, “-Sir.”

Hyunwoo placed his hands at Kihyun's hips. 

Unable to wipe the stupid smile on his face, Kihyun bit down on his lip. It still didn't stop his smile. He placed his hands above his shoulders, relishing in the heat of the tanned skin, and lowered them down his chest, over his pecks and in between his arms and sides, before running them back up.

“Is your face broken, Kihyun?”

“Shut up,” Kihyun said, gliding his hands down Hyunwoo’s biceps.

A loud smack hit his ass. 

Kihyun's eyes widened on a gasp.

“Watch your tongue, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo warned.

“Shut up, _Sir_ ,” Kihyun sassed, wanting another.

Another slap landed. “Try again.”

Kihyun dropped his face between Hyunwoo's pecs and kissed him, laving his tongue at the warm skin and working his way up to his neck.

Kihyun grinned against his neck. “Kindly shut your mouth, Sir.”

Hyunwoo chuckled almost imperceptibly and slapped his ass stingingly before hauling Kihyun up and maneuvering his leg so he sat sideways on his lap.

The abrupt change disoriented Kihyun and Hyunwoo pushed him back so he reclined over the arm rest. It arched his back and pushed his chest out as his head dropped upside down over the edge. 

“Best stay there and let the blood return to your head. You must have lost your mind speaking to me like that,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun's chest moved on a silent laugh.

“You think that's funny?” Hyunwoo tweaked a nipple through the lacey mesh.

Kihyun jumped. “No, Sir.”

Hyunwoo tweaked his other nipple and Kihyun's ass squirmed in his lap. “Then, why are you smiling?”

“I'm not, Sir,” Kihyun said, trying to press his lips into a line and failing.

“Are you not? Councilman Thierry, is Dr. Yoo smiling?” He watched Kihyun bring an arm over and cover his smile with a hand. The brat.

Councilman Thierry grinned. “That he is, Captain.”

“So, not only do you backtalk, you lie, too?” Hyunwoo lamented. “Perhaps I can torture you into reformation.”

Kihyun's belly twitched.

Hyunwoo set one hand on Kihyun's outer thigh and brought his thumb to Kihyun's right nipple, rubbing back and forth over it.

Kihyun shifted in Hyunwoo’s lap and arched further. Hyunwoo’s finger caused the material to slide roughly over the nub and Kihyun groaned into his hand.

“Drop the hand, Kihyun. I need to hear you apologize when your ready,” Hyunwoo ordered, continuing his assault.

Kihyun removed the hand and gripped the back of the couch. With his other hand, he held onto the edge of the seat cushion between Hyunwoo's knee and the arm rest. 

Kihyun turned his head from side to side. The abrasion felt so good and the irritation built til he couldn't hold still and ground his ass into Hyunwoo's lap.

“Captain, please,” Kihyun whined.

Hyunwoo lifted his other hand from Kihyun's thigh and began rubbing his other nipple. “Not an apology,” Hyunwoo stated.

Kihyun's body jerked at the double abrasion as he felt precome trickle down his shaft to the base, inching down to his balls. His squirming caused the mesh to move against the head and underside of his shaft.

Hyunwoo abruptly stopped and Kihyun thought it was over, but Hyunwoo's hands curled over each of his own hands and he guided them to the slit down his front. Hyunwoo curled Kihyun's fingers under the lace with his own and pulled them back, displaying Kihyun's chest to the world. Oh, fuck. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

Hyunwoo removed his hands from Kihyun's, which continued to hold the material open. “Good boy.”

Kihyun's heart hammered and when Hyunwoo's fingers returned to his nipples, Kihyun bit down on his lip brutally, a moan passing through them.

Hyunwoo smirked. Kihyun was falling apart in his lap, his ass unable to stay still on his thighs, his chest both moved away and towards the friction he was providing. Hyunwoo was unrelenting, addicted to sounds passing Kihyun's bitten lips.

“Hyunwoo,” he moaned. He drew his feet up and down the cushion, then dropped his clasped knees from side to side, unable to keep still. Heat spread from his belly and outwards as his cock filled more, growing taut.

Hyunwoo leaned forward and opened his mouth over one of them, wetting it, then flicking at it with his tongue while his other finger flicked the other.

Kihyun swallowed. “Ah, fuck,” he whispered.

Hyunwoo switched sides, lashing his tongue against the other before going down and sucking. 

Kihyun shouted, lurching up before falling back on the arm rest and squeezing his eyes shut. A healthy gush streamed down his cock and belly. Oh, that really wasn't good.

A throbbing began at his prostate as Hyunwoo returned to the other nipple, sucking again, his finger moved fast at the nipple he just left. Shit, was he actually going to come from this? What the fuck?! The throbbing intensified as Hyunwoo continued and Kihyun wildly realized that, yes, he was going to come from this if Hyunwoo kept going.

“Hyunwoo,” he gasped, even as he continued to hold the teddy wide open for him. 

“Hyunwoo!” He was able to say it louder this time, but it sounded like an exaltation, not a request to stop. Kihyun almost didn't want him to stop. It felt so good.

Hyunwoo didn’t look up, continuing to suck and flick at the sensitive nubs. “Not an apology.”

Kihyun moved his body frantically, arching and unarching, fingers pulling the teddy out more, ass moving in Hyunwoo’s lap as he made abortive thrusts. “Sorry! So- Sorry, Sir!”

Hyunwoo grinned against his nipple and pulled up, cupping the back of Kihyun's head and bringing him back up. Kihyun's blue eyes bled to brown.

Hyunwoo's mouth parted in shock. “Were -? Why didn't you say something?”

Kihyun would have glared if he wasn't stunned still, being so close to the edge and then abruptly halted. All he could do was sit there and regain his breath. His nipples felt like they were glowing, so sensitive. They felt hot. Kihyun let go of the material and he gasped at the contact as it settled over the nubs. It was disconcerting, Hyunwoo knew his body better than he did.

Kihyun really didn't want to come anytime soon. He wanted to stretch this out for as long as possible, but Hyunwoo had a direct line to his cock and was making this incredibly difficult to achieve.

Once he came, this time with Hyunwoo, where he could touch and be touched, would likely end. One, Hyunwoo would feel bad for letting it happen after he said he didn't want to. Not coming in front of everyone was in their agreement. Two, Hyunwoo would probably scoop him up and carry him to the no touch room so he could clean up, the night officially over, carriage to pumpkin, horses to mice.

As it was, Hyunwoo flipped him and laid him down on the couch, straddling his closed thighs. The couch wasn't wide enough to accommodate the position and one of Hyunwoo’s legs went over the seat and onto the floor.

“You are so wet,” Hyunwoo said, running fingers through the glistening mesh and spreading it outwards, making an even bigger mess of him.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun complained weakly, “It's really not going to take much to tip me over right now.”

Hyunwoo smiled down at him. “That’s right, baby, keep talking to me, just like that, and we can keep going.”

Hyunwoo made a v with his index and middle finger and began stroking the tips on his mesh covered belly, on either side of his erection, but not close enough to touch it. 

Kihyun's belly quivered. “Oh, god,” he bemoaned. He wasn't going to survive this. The captain was a complete cock tease.

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo's face, fully concentrated on slowly killing him. He couldn't decide if Hyunwoo looked like the devil himself or a kid with a shiny new toy. 

Kihyun vacuumed his stomach in as his chest expanded with deep breaths. He brought the heel of his hand to his forehead, watching the broad expanse of perfection known as Hyunwoo hover over him and do absolutely filthy things to him. The man was playing around with his soaked teddy, for God's sake. Definitely, a kid with a new toy.

He kept running his fingers at the sides of his cock until Kihyun had enough and tilted his hips to the side, aiming for contact, even just a little brush. Even Kihyun’s cock was moving under the mesh, trying to get Hyunwoo’s attention.

Hyunwoo withdrew his fingers to slap at Kihyun's hip. “Uh-uh.”

Hyunwoo took the mesh at each side of his belly and pulled it back and forth over his erection. It made an even bigger mess as the material dragged over the underside of his cock. 

Kihyun whimpered a laugh in disbelief. The man was sadistic. Kihyun propped himself up on his elbows to watch what had Hyunwoo so enraptured.

Kihyun licked his lips watching Hyunwoo's large, capable hands so close to his cock.

“You are a work of art,” Hyunwoo murmured. 

“I'm a mess,” Kihyun countered weakly.

Hyunwoo's lips pulled up at the side. “That, too.”

Hyunwoo stopped dragging the material and dug the heel of his palm into Kihyun's lower belly and pushed up.

Kihyun bucked, but it was restrained by Hyunwoo's weight on his thighs. 

Hyunwoo smiled. “That belly of yours...”

Hyunwoo did it again, eliciting the same reaction from Kihyun. He pressed circles around his belly button with his fingers and pushed in. Kihyun squirmed.

Hyunwoo was so fucking curious about this, enthralled with how Kihyun reacted to each touch. He pressed the heel of his hand into his navel and rubbed deeply, over and over, as more wetness clung to and pooled under the mesh. Kihyun trembled, gasping.

Hyunwoo looked at him, his face flushed a pretty pink and eyes shining. He looked so erotic like this and he felt his legs twitch under him. Hyunwoo brought his fingers back to his belly button and pushed firm circles around it and into it.

Kihyun shot his hand down to stop it. “You really don’t want to do that.”

Hyunwoo raised a brow. He really did, but some other time, perhaps.

Hyunwoo sighed theatrically and lifted his weight off Kihyun’s legs so that the man could retrieve them. “How can I play with you if every little thing sends you careening to the edge?”

Kihyun bit his lip and slid his legs out from under Hyunwoo, drawing them to his side on the couch. It was embarrassing. It always took a lot more direct stimulation to get him there, but with Hyunwoo...

“You’d think after, what, six times last night you wouldn’t be so easily set off,” Hyunwoo said, a challenge in his eyes.

“I’m not so easily set off!” Kihyun countered, the effect diminished by his rock hard erection.

“Doesn’t look that way to me,” Hyunwoo said, unaffected. “You’re like a firework. One little spark and you shoot off, quite literally.”

Kihyun’s mouth opened, speechless.

Hyunwoo put an arm on the back of the couch, facing Kihyun. His face turned annoyingly serious, as if he were contemplating the meaning of life. “I mean, how have your previous partners dealt with this? How do they have a moment to enjoy themselves if, in three minutes, you’re out of service?” he taunted.

Kihyun’s eyes blazed. “Out of service?! For your information, I can last all night. It’s just that you-,” Kihyun snapped his mouth shut.

Hyunwoo looked like he just won the coveted Captain of the Year trophy. “It’s just that I...?” His smile stretched wide. “Dr. Yoo, are you telling me nobody makes you feel the way I can make you feel?”

Kihyun swallowed. “...No, that’s not what I said.”

“You don’t have to, your body said it for you,” Hyunwoo said with a smile.

Kihyun’s palms were itching to slap that smug face and glorious body. “Captain. I think it’s entirely possible you think too highly of yourself.”

“Not at all. Only stating the facts,” Hyunwoo replied.

“Captain’s Disease, that’s what you have.”

“Sounds serious.” Hyunwoo mocked. “What makes you think I have it?”

Kihyun lifted his hand and began ticking off each symptom. “Delusions of grandeur, resting smirk-face, can’t handle anyone questioning their decisions, incorrectly believes their marinara is better than anyone else’s, uses their station to get double portions of dessert, has an insatiable appetite for handing out unfair punishment for the _tiniest_ of crimes and for any opportunity to exercise their power over others. Then, there’s-”

Hyunwoo roughly dragged his thumb over Kihyun’s lips back and forth and Kihyun sputtered, pulling back. “Let me stop you right there, Kitten. I’d hate to have to hand out more ‘unfair’ punishment. That mouth of yours gets you into so much trouble.”

Hyunwoo leaned forward to press his lips against Kihyun’s in a soft, lingering kiss that left Kihyun frozen. He pulled away just enough to search Kihyun’s eyes. All traces of annoyance were gone, in its place was a soft vulnerability.

That look swept through Hyunwoo, warming him, solidifying his instinct about Kihyun’s place in his life.

Kihyun closed his eyes and brought their lips together again.

A quiet swept over them as Kihyun shifted his legs underneath him and sat on his heels, kissing Hyunwoo’s lips over and over again. The eager, sweet movements of Kihyun’s soft mouth over his own set his blood singing. Kihyun placed a hand at his shoulder and pec as he continued to lead the kiss in an endless barrage of evocative drags over his mouth, his lips gently pulling at his own.

When Kihyun finally licked at his lips, Hyunwoo smiled and hauled Kihyun back over on top of him, legs on either side like before. It broke the kiss, and they stared at one another. 

Kihyun swallowed. “You’re so...,” he whispered.

It was almost inaudible. Hyunwoo would have pushed him to finish the sentence, but he really just wanted to kiss him again.

Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s face in his hands and brought their lips together. He licked at the soft lips and they readily opened. When his tongue moved to brush against Kihyun’s, the man sighed and met his advances.

Kihyun ran his palms up and down Hyunwoo’s shoulders and chest, unable to stop touching him as Hyunwoo’s kisses sent him flying. Kihyun’s stomach felt like it was being pulled every which way and the only thing keeping him grounded was the solid body he was holding onto and the sturdy hands at his waist and face. He never wanted this to stop.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun sighed, breaking away and trailing small kisses along his jaw to behind his ear. He licked at his earlobe before pulling at it with his lips, gently sucking at the soft skin as he ran his fingers up and down Hyunwoo’s sides in light caresses.

Hyunwoo dropped his head back onto the couch, hands sliding to Kihyun’s back.

Kihyun kissed down to the underside of his jaw, could feel where the bristles would break free of the smooth skin covering them by morning. He had a brief vision of those bristles irritating his skin in the best of ways and he silently groaned.

He opened his mouth on Hyunwoo’s neck and moved along the bronze skin, tasting him. His hands crept behind Hyunwoo to his heated back as he pulled his body closer to his, sliding all the way up Hyunwoo’s strong thighs until he was pressed against him.

Kihyun was making his way up behind his other ear when Hyunwoo pulled his face back to his and kissed him again. And, again. Each kiss more aggressive than the last. Kihyun tried to keep up, but Hyunwoo’s mouth rendered his mind hazy and Hyunwoo seemed to want to pillage him, so he let him. The thrusts of Hyunwoo tongue into his mouth rousingly indicative another kind of thrusting and Kihyun’s hips rocked as he took everything Hyunwoo was giving him.

Hyunwoo’s hands traveled down to his ass and he gripped the cheeks, helping Kihyun grind against his hard stomach, his abs becoming slick with Kihyun’s arousal.

Kihyun lightly held onto each side of Hyunwoo’s neck, too weak to properly hold on. He was lost in this, completely in Hyunwoo’s control. He moaned into Hyunwoo’s mouth and Hyunwoo rose from the couch. Kihyun’s legs wrapped around him as he walked them to an alcove. He set Kihyun down on the large dais built into the wall, covered in soft, velvety burnt orange cushions and dark furs, then turned to swing the indigo, opaque hangings across the opening.

He joined Kihyun on the cushions. “Is this okay?” Hyunwoo asked, his voice deeper than usual.

“Yes,” Kihyun said. 

Kihyun had no idea what he was asking, but the answer was definitely ‘yes.’ Can I kiss you again? Yes. Can I make you come? Yes. Can I fuck you? Yes, please, God, yes.

The dark hangings gave the alcove a secretive, sultry ambiance. The light from the outside didn’t pass through the curtains and while noise from outside could be heard, it felt like they were miles away in here. Candles burned in intricate lanterns, hung at varying levels, their fragrance earthy and slightly spicy. The light from the flames bathed Hyunwoo in warmth and Kihyun reached out to him. 

Hyunwoo smiled and kissed him again, pushing the man down fully onto his back.

Kihyun wasted no time unbuttoning and unzipping Hyunwoo’s pants, pushing them down below Hyunwoo’s hips, before his position halted him. Kihyun pulled his face away from Hyunwoo’s hungry lips.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun begged. “Please, I need to feel you.”

With one last lick at Kihyun’s lips, Hyunwoo pulled off. Shucking his shoes, socks and pants, not once taking his eyes off Kihyun. “Happy?” he quipped.

Kihyun bit his lip and grinned. “Yes.” 

Holy fuck, Hyunwoo was perfect and just as affected from this as Kihyun was. His impressive length or girth not at all obscured by the boxer briefs, which were still partially wet in places from Kihyun’s mouth. Kihyun wanted it in his mouth so desperately, but Hyunwoo didn’t give him the chance to express or vocalize that desire before he was back over him, silencing him with more drugging kisses.

Kihyun sighed, returning them. This was perfect, too, especially now that he could feel Hyunwoo’s skin along his body and his heavy length at his thigh. Hyunwoo broke away to nibble at his neck.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun managed, the nibbles very distracting. “I want to make you feel good.”

“You already are,” Hyunwoo replied against his neck.

“But,” Kihyun began and stopped as Hyunwoo licked and closed his mouth over his Adam’s apple.

Hyunwoo stopped and hovered over him, meeting Kihyun’s eyes. “I’m running the show tonight, Kihyun. You? You’re limited to kissing, straddling and touching my muscles, remember? Me? I can kiss, touch you anywhere, tease you. You should have been more courageous with your terms yesterday.”

Hyunwoo swiped his thumb over Kihyun’s abused lips. “Don’t worry. You are going to come and, technically, it won’t be in front of any of them. Our agreement will not have been tarnished.”

Kihyun looked to the side mournfully. “Why do you have such a hard-on for rules?” He looked back up at Hyunwoo desperately. “I’m begging you. Let me suck you, at least. I’ll make you feel so good.”

“No. Our contract is binding until we leave this planet. How do I know you’re not caught up in the moment? You’re three glasses deep into wine and about three strokes away from coming.” Hyunwoo said seriously before grinning, Kihyun was so much fun to agitate. “Besides, you confessed nobody makes you feel the way I do-”

“I did not!” Kihyun groaned.

“-You’re clearly not thinking rationally enough to renegotiate our terms.”

Hyunwoo didn’t give him any time to respond before he kissed him again, biting and pulling at his swollen lips. He hovered over him on his knees as he slipped his thumbs under the lace and traced circles around his nipples without touching them.

Kihyun’s breath hitched and he took hold of Hyunwoo’s head, coaxing him to kiss him properly because he couldn’t lay here and fall apart, he had to do something. Kihyun tried to lead the kiss, but it was impossible when half his mind was waiting for his tingling nipples to be touched again. Hyunwoo was such a fucking tease.

Kihyun lifted his calf to run along the side of Hyunwoo’s cock.

Hyunwoo allowed the leg to rub up and down a few times before he groaned pulled away from Kihyun’s venturing tongue. He took the calf in his right hand and bent it up at Kihyun’s side, knee to the side of his shoulder, pressing it into the cushion. He gave Kihyun a look. “That is not a muscle, Kihyun.”

‘It’s big like your muscles,’ Kihyun thought petulantly.

“My bad,” Kihyun apologized falsely. “I thought it was your leg.”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes in disbelief, fighting not to laugh. Kihyun sure wasn’t shy once he was in the moment. If he brought this up in the morning, he’d probably hide under the sheets.

Hyunwoo looked down at him wryly. “Do you need an anatomy lesson, Doctor?”

Kihyun bit his lip and nodded. “I think I do,” he replied seriously. His hand reached down to stroke Hyunwoo’s length.

Kihyun blinked up at him. “You mean, this isn’t a muscle? It’s so hard like your other muscles. I suppose I made a mistake. You know, I’m a very skilled masseuse, I could relieve the tension for you.” He stroked up and down the length before cupping his balls. “Just say the word.”

‘Christ.’ The way Kihyun looked up at him, devious, feline eyes, confident in his power over Hyunwoo, it was undoing him. His hand gripped Kihyun’s knee hard as his other gripped the fur at Kihyun’s side. Fuck, Hyunwoo couldn’t wait for the day when he could flip the brat over and pound all that sass and defiance out of him. Or, let Kihyun run wild and do whatever the hell he felt like.

Kihyun smiled wide, knowing exactly what Hyunwoo was thinking, as he returned to stroking the shaft through the underwear. “Heat is also very good for strained muscles. I have a couple places I could keep it warm in. They’re so hot, I bet it would feel so good on your stiff, aching muscle. I could massage it so well in them, too. You’d feel better in no time. I think we should do something, I mean, look how swollen it is.”

Hyunwoo’s mouth parted as Kihyun’s hand gripped him, eyes falling shut. He needed to take back control. Kihyun was a slippery little fox, both literally and figuratively.

Hyunwoo let go of his knee to trap Kihyun’s hands in his own and did a double take. Kihyun’s leg stayed exactly where he left it as if it were the most comfortable position in the world.

“You’re very flexible, aren’t you?” Hyunwoo asked, mind shuffling through every dirty position he could submit Kihyun to.

“Hmm,” Kihyun smiled slyly as he moved his back languorously on the cushions. “Want to test me out?”

Hyunwoo smiled like he was considering it, then pressed Kihyun’s hands into the cushion above his head in a firm grip. “Keep them there or you’ll have another uncomfortable night ahead of you.”

Kihyun frowned. “But, I’m allowed to touch you.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “You’re in time-out.”

“Until when?” 

“Until I say so,” Hyunwoo finalized, laying over him again.

Hyunwoo kissed his frown away and crept a hand underneath Kihyun to his cleft. He slipped his hand under the string and brushed the furl.

Kihyun gasped into Hyunwoo’s mouth, his arms automatically lifting to embrace Hyunwoo before remembering and dropping them back to the cushion.

He could only keep his mouth open for Hyunwoo as that finger turned him insane with lust. Sounds and who knows what else breaking past his lips, muffled by Hyunwoo’s kisses. Hyunwoo seemed to want to hear them as he pulled back to lick at Kihyun’s open lips, relishing in the noises that broke free.

“Look at me, baby,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s eyes opened on him.

“So pretty,” Hyunwoo murmured. “Do you want to come like this?”

“No. I want your cock,” Kihyun almost begged.

“I’m not fucking you, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo responded as he circled the rim endlessly.

“Please. I need it,” Kihyun moaned desperately.

Hyunwoo dropped a quick kiss on his lips. “For someone so argumentative, you plead so sweetly.”

Kihyun bit his lip as the pleasure built. “Stop, stop! I’m going to come.”

Hyunwoo stopped, pulling his hand out from under Kihyun and resting it on Kihyun’s heaving chest. It was too bad. Hyunwoo really did want to make him come. Kihyun had already been brought to the precipice a few times tonight. It wasn’t really fair to keep pushing him to the edge over and over again with nothing to show for it but a messy teddy and neglected erection. His urge to make Kihyun come may have something to do with how badly Hyunwoo wanted to come himself. He couldn’t wait to strip his cock over a spent Kihyun and paint that black lace.

At the same time, it was more than nice to keep going, learning how thoroughly Kihyun’s body was susceptible to every little touch. This was the best kind of torture.

If he was going to submit Kihyun to more of it, he may as well use this opportunity to lay some groundwork for what lay ahead. All of a sudden, he couldn’t imagine a night where he didn’t have Kihyun in his quarters, doing every dirty thing he could think up to this perfect lissome body, so fucking responsive, so unrealistically sensitive.

Hyunwoo straddled Kihyun’s thighs. He lowered his hand slightly and tapped his fingers under Kihyun’s chest. “Let’s play a game. For each question you answer truthfully, I’ll free something. Your hands, your cock, mine,” Hyunwoo said. “Are you game?”

“Yes,” Kihyun breathed. He’d do anything for Hyunwoo’s cock.

“Truthfully,” Hyunwoo reminded. He smiled down at him, already knowing the answer. “When you come over for dinner, do you think about me fucking you?”

The flush on Kihyun’s face flared. “Yes,” he admitted.

Hyunwoo’s eyes glinted as he reached up for Kihyun’s left hand and ran his palm and fingers over his pecs and down his abs, over his underwear, but not his bulge. Kihyun’s hand jerked as Hyunwoo ran it close to his cock over and over again.

“Remember your limitations,” Hyunwoo said as he let go of Kihyun’s hand.

Kihyun snatched his hand up to his own chest, like he didn’t trust himself.

“Do you think about me when you jerk off?” Hyunwoo inquired, curious, drawing his knuckles up and down the slit of the teddy. 

Kihyun couldn’t look away from Hyunwoo if he tried. “Yes,” he confessed.

Hyunwoo smiled wider and reached for his right hand, bringing it to his mouth and sucking his index and middle fingers inside.

Kihyun’s eyes widened as Hyunwoo sucked and laved at the fingers. Hyunwoo stared into Kihyun’s eyes as he bobbed up and down the digits wetly. He sucked hard and the slurp went straight to his cock. 

“Fuck,” Kihyun whispered.

Hyunwoo pulled them out and ran the wet fingers down the teddy’s slit before leaving the hand at Kihyun’s belly.

Hyunwoo rested his hand at Kihyun’s neck, not quite a grip, but close. Kihyun was aware of the rapid pulse Hyunwoo was surely feeling.

Hyunwoo lightly moved his finger over Kihyun’s nipple with his other hand in feather-like touches. “What do you think about? Describe it to me.”

His pulse skyrocketed, and he swallowed. “I...think about you over me, in me, pushing me down on your desk, your couch, your dinner table and pounding into me.”

“Keep going.”

Kihyun arched his back, dying for more direct contact. “I think about taking you in my mouth, tasting your come. I think about how you smell and taste all the time. I want it on me, on my tongue, inside me.”

Hyunwoo hooked a couple fingers under the leg of the teddy and pulled it over Kihyun’s cock, to the side.

Kihyun’s breath caught as Hyunwoo took it in his hand and gave him a few solid pumps. 

“Hyunwoo,” he moaned.

Hyunwoo let go of him to fondle his balls. “So wet. Tell me something filthy and I’ll take mine out.”

Fuck, that felt good.

“Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asked.

“What?” Kihyun asked in a daze.

“Something filthy,” Hyunwoo prompted as he switched to pumping him again.

Kihyun groaned. How was he supposed to think right now? 

Hyunwoo stopped completely.

“No! No. Okay,” Kihyun begged. “I think about you punishing me.”

Hyunwoo gripped him again. “How do I punish you? Details.”

“You spank me. Sometimes, in your office. Sometimes, in front of others, like on the bridge or in the mess hall.”

Hyunwoo began jerking him off again.

“You like humiliation?” Hyunwoo questioned.

“I don’t know,” Kihyun replied honestly.

“And, the spanking turns you on?”

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun panted.

“Do you get wet when I spank you?”

“So wet.”

“Tell me.”

“When I’m bent over, it makes a mess on the floor.”

“Such a messy boy, look at yourself right now, dribbling all over the place. I bet you make a puddle on the floor.”

Kihyun’s hands reached down to hold Hyunwoo’s thighs just above his knees. “Sometimes you make me lick it up if it gets on your pants, or your couch or your desk.” Kihyun said.

“Do I?” Hyunwoo asked, smile growing. Kihyun was a kinky little angel.

Hyunwoo swiped his thumb over the head and continued, twisting over his shaft. “Keep going. There has to be more than spanking.”

Kihyun weakly sat up on his elbows to watch Hyunwoo’s hand on his cock. It was so wet, the slick noises felt entirely too loud in the enclosed space. The sweetness of his arousal battled the earthy fragrance from the candles.

Kihyun swallowed. “Sometimes, you put me under your desk and put your cock in my mouth while you work or have meetings.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes slightly widened. “You are surprisingly dirty, Kihyun. Do you do a good a job? Keeping my cock warm in your mouth?”

“Yes. I do anything you tell me to,” Kihyun replied, reflexively bucking up into Hyunwoo’s hand.

Hyunwoo chuckled softly and set his other hand on Kihyun’s stomach to keep him still. “Anything I tell you to? Must be some pretty far-fetched fantasies. In what universe would you do anything I tell you? What else?”

“You make me watch you be with-,” Kihyun faltered, “-with another person. You tie me up and make me watch, but you act like I’m not there, and I’m so hard, but I can’t do anything about it. Sometimes, you make me get naked and ride your leg in front of everyone while you ignore me.”

That shocked Hyunwoo. This was starting to get a little dark, even as a light bulb flicked on. He stopped stroking. “I ignore you in these fantasies?”

“Yes?” Kihyun said, confused, wondering why the hell he stopped.

Hyunwoo frowned. “Why do you think that is?”

“Oh, my god. You’re turning into Changkyun again.”

“Please don’t talk about Changkyun when I have your cock in my hand.”

Kihyun fought not to roll his eyes. How many times was Hyunwoo going to take him the brink tonight? He wanted to cry.

Kihyun canted up into his fist a couple times, but it wasn’t really helpful. He dropped back down to the bed, defeated. “I don’t know, Hyunwoo. They’re just jerk-off fantasies. They’re not meant to be analyzed, they’re meant to be enjoyed. You said you wouldn’t judge me last night.” If he sounded upset, it’s because he was.

“I’m not judging,” Hyunwoo assured, feeling bad for hurting his feelings.

He let go of his cock and stretched over Kihyun again, kissing him. “They’re hot, just like you.”

‘Except,’ Hyunwoo thought, Kihyun’s fantasies were telling. While the fantasies themselves were hot and dirty, Hyunwoo was consistently cold in them. Ignoring him? Punishing him? It made sense to a degree. Recent months excluded, Hyunwoo did ignore Kihyun. Almost any interaction before then was Hyunwoo doling out punishment. He suddenly wondered why Kihyun liked him at all. He was honestly disturbed by them. Not because of what they entailed, but because of what he felt they meant and his shit behavior that inspired them.

He looked down at Kihyun, who seemed to want nothing more than to sink down into the cushions and far away from him. Hyunwoo didn’t blame him. He clearly hurt his feelings when he was the one asking for honesty.

Hyunwoo leaned back down in an attempt to kiss the negative thoughts away and, eventually, Kihyun responded, hands trapped in his hair as their lips and tongues moved against each other's, Kihyun becoming more and more eager with each swipe of Hyunwoo’s tongue.

Hyunwoo started pumping Kihyun’s flagged erection back to life as he kissed at the dove-soft neck.

Hyunwoo pulled back and looked down at him. “Which one do you think about the most?”

Kihyun went red, the same alarming red he was last night. Hyunwoo sped up his movements.

Kihyun latched onto his other wrist as his eyes screwed shut. “Hyunwoo!”

“Tell me,” Hyunwoo coaxed.

Oh, god. He was so close again. “You’re over me, in my bed, kissing my neck like this.” Kihyun broke off moaning. “And, you fill me up so well, moving so deeply. And, you-,” Kihyun latched onto Hyunwoo’s shoulder, his hand driving him crazy.

“What do I do?” Hyunwoo smiled, dipping down to nibble at his ear.

Kihyun’s nails dug into his shoulders as he bucked into Hyunwoo’s hand. “You say sweet things,” he bit out.

Hyunwoo grinned, elated that he was actually warm and attentive in this one. 

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered into his ear, stroking his leaking cock.

Kihyun shivered.

“Every inch of you is so pretty, from your toes, to your knees, to your perfect, incredibly messy cock, and unrealistically sensitive belly, your little pink nipples that make you shake, your silky, delicate skin, your long neck that I honestly want to strangle most of the time, your full lips I want to fucking destroy, your beautiful brown eyes, that little crease you get at the top of your nose, and your feather soft hair that’s somehow survived every crazy color you’ve submitted it to.”

Kihyun groaned, dying from embarrassment. He didn’t mean for Hyunwoo to take that to heart. “Hyunwoo, stop. You don’t have to-”

Hyunwoo licked the shell of his ear. “I’m not done. You tease me with your scent every damn day. Every fucking day, a new perfume, or cream, or oil, or whatever the hell it is you use. I have to find a reason to get close enough to you just to slake my curiosity without looking like a creep. Did you know that?”

“No,” Kihyun cried. What the hell was happening?

Kihyun was surprised he hadn’t come yet. It felt like he was right there, Hyunwoo’s hand twisting and moving perfectly over his cock.

“And, you’re so smart. You’ve dedicated your life to healing. You’re maybe the most selfless person I’ve ever met. That really does make me want to strangle you.”

Hyuwnoo brought Kihyun’s face from the side. “Hey, look at me.”

Kihyun’s eyes met his and Hyunwoo sped up his hand. Kihyun gripped his forearm.

“It’s important you don’t let any of this get to your head. You’re still a brat. You don’t know when to hold your tongue. And, as smart as you are, you’re not always quick on the uptake. I’ve never met anyone who is as bad at following directions as you. My marinara is better than yours. You may have fooled others into thinking you’re graceful, but you’re really rather clumsy and hairbrained.”

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun gasped, so fucking close and confused. Kihyun’s brow furrowed, he was about to blow his load while he was being dissed. This wasn’t right.

“Come with me,” Kihyun begged. “Please, come with me.”

Hyunwoo looked at him briefly before he pushed his underwear down and pulled himself out. He aligned his cock up next to Kihyun’s and stroked them together. Kihyun’s precome quickly covered Hyunwoo’s cock with each stroke. Hyunwoo groaned deeply, the feeling and sight of their cocks together driving him mad.

“Fuck,” Kihyun sighed.

He lifted his head to watch Hyunwoo stroking them together. “Double fuck.” He dropped his head back to the cushion, panting, before lifting up to look once again.

The contrast in color, size and girth, Kihyun’s smooth, hairless crotch next to all of Hyunwoo’s trimmed hair. The heat and feeling of Hyunwoo’s cock on his own combined with Hyunwoo’s firm grip was sending him there too quickly. He only just got Hyunwoo’s cock out and it was going to be over. 

“Ah, shit,” Hyunwoo groaned. “I forgot about your ass. How could I forget about your ass?”

Hyunwoo wrapped his other hand around them, twisting his fist around them as he thrust his cock against Kihyun’s in the tight grip.

Kihyun’s head dropped back down again. “Oh, god,” he moaned.

“That tight little ass of yours fills my hands so well. The lightest of smacks and it blushes as prettily as your face. I wonder how quick I could make you come if I rimmed you. Less than a minute? Would you like my mouth on you, my tongue flicking and probing at your little pink hole? You’re so fucking tight, if I were to fuck you, I bet you’d feel it for days.”

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Kihyun didn’t know what was coming out his mouth anymore, but it was a constant litany, and he couldn’t help himself. Thinking about Hyunwoo inside him pushed him to that point of no return. Kihyun pressed his lips together and his eyes squeezed shut.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun managed. “I’m gonna come. I can’t,” he cried.

“Come for me.”

Kihyun shook on a cry as he shot into Hyunwoo’s hand and up high onto the black lace.

“That’s right,” Hyunwoo soothed as let go of his own cock to milk Kihyun’s with a few more slow strokes. Kihyun stopped his hand after a moment, sensitive.

Hyunwoo dropped a kiss to his lips and lifted to his knees above Kihyun, beating his cock over the gorgeous, spent man below him. Kihyun stared up at him, from his cock to his eyes on repeat, licking his lips, as if he was excited about Hyunwoo coming as Hyunwoo was.

Hyunwoo moaned, so close. Kihyun looking up at him, laying so sexy underneath him. He was going to spoil that black lace even more, the thought of marking him spurring him on.

Kihyun’s hands moved up and down the sides of Hyunwoo’s thighs as his chest heaved in anticipation.

Then, Kihyun opened his mouth, pink tongue ready in silent invitation.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo nearly growled, stripping his cock even faster.

Taking that as a confirmation, Kihyun sat on his heels before Hyunwoo, faster than Hyunwoo thought possible.

Kihyun crouched forward, mouth open, tongue waiting, so ready to taste him.

Hyunwoo groaned, gripping the hair at the back of Kihyun’s head. With a few more strokes, he grunted and painted Kihyun’s tongue and lips with thick ribbons of come, breathing heavily. “Ahh, fuck,” he breathed, “Shit.”

Kihyun fingered what missed his lips and tongue into his mouth before leaning forward and licking the tip of Hyunwoo’s cock once. He kept the seed in his mouth, not wanting to swallow it yet. What he really wanted to do was push him down and drool it over Hyunwoo’s spent cock and balls and lick it all up again, but felt Hyunwoo wouldn’t let him. He swallowed it and licked the finger he used to push the come into his mouth.

They lay down together, side by side, recovering. Their arms touching for a moment before Kihyun moved down Hyunwoo’s body, resting his face at the apex of his thighs, burying his nose in the short hair then nosing down to his balls.

“You are going to be the death of me someday,” Hyunwoo said matter-of-factly, arm thrown over his eyes.

Kihyun moved his closed lips over the balls and base of his shaft. He smelled like Hyunwoo and Kihyun combined and his heart stuttered.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo whined. 

Kihyun lifted up like a meerkat poking his head out of its home. “I’m nuzzling. It’s allowed.”

“It’s not, actually. You said, and I quote, ‘Of course, you’d have clothes on.’ No clothes, if you hadn’t noticed.”

Kihyun took the underwear below Hyunwoo’s hips and pulled them back up over his cock then settled his face back down into it.

Hyunwoo stomach shook with silent laughter. He gave up and ran his fingers through Kihyun’s hair. They spent their post coital bliss like this, Kihyun resting his face at his crotch and Hyunwoo crossing his arms behind his head, watching Kihyun and trying to not to drift off.

“I’m gross,” Kihyun said later on. 

From his vantage point, it looked like he was talking to Hyunwoo’s cock and Hyunwoo smiled.

“Yes, you are, but at least you smell sweet,” Hyunwoo said.

“You smell good, too,” Kihyun said, pressing his nose in and breathing.

“I think you might be a bit of an oddity, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo mused aloud.

“No, you smell like a man. I smell like...crème brûlée or something. It’s weird,” Kihyun replied.

Hyunwoo chuckled. “I like weird.”

Hyunwoo sat up and dislodged Kihyun, forcing him to sit up as well. 

“Let’s say our goodbyes and go up to bed,” Hyunwoo said, reaching for his pants. He stood up and buttoned and zipped them, watching Kihyun watch him.

Hyunwoo’s mouth ticked up, and he hooked a finger under the material of the teddy to bring it over his cock and sac again. 

Kihyun seemed like he was trying to voice something, the gears in his head turning. It was as plain as day to Hyunwoo. 

Hyunwoo sat down beside him as he put on his socks and shoes. “Not here, Kihyun. On the ship.”

“What happens next? I mean, where...” Kihyun asked softly.

Hyunwoo groaned fondly and finished tying his shoes before standing and pulling Kihyun up to stand before him.

Hyunwoo looked down at him, cupping the sides of his face. “So bad at directions,” he lamented. “What did I just say?”

“On the ship, Sir.”

“Yes, on the ship, where you’re not pretending to be my boyfriend and I’m not pretending to be your lover, where we’re not caught up in this lie on this oversexed planet or in some post orgasmic haze. On the ship, after we’ve returned to reality and our actual lives.”

Kihyun’s brows drew together as he opened his mouth. “But, you,...” Kihyun started, all the sweet things Hyunwoo said earlier were confusing him. He looked into Hyunwoo’s eyes, trying to find something to help him understand where they were. “I mean, tonight, we...”

Hyunwoo placed a finger against them. “On. The. Ship.”

Kihyun closed his lips contritely. 

Hyunwoo clucked his tongue, looking down at him. “You really are a mess right now. That poor teddy. Can you even give it back to them at this point?”

Kihyun blushed.

Hyunwoo bent down to scoop him up under the knees and Kihyun quickly grappled onto Hyunwoo’s shoulders. He shouldered the hanging to the side as he exited.

The room looked over at them at their emergence.

“Why are they staring?” Kihyun asked nervously.

Hyunwoo smiled warmly. “I think it might have something to do with your vocality.”

He walked them back to the couch where he bent down enough for Kihyun to snatch the red robe off the floor and his uniform from the couch. Kihyun quickly covered his destroyed front with them.

“Goodnight, gentlemen. It’s been an honor,” Hyunwoo said to the group, hauling Kihyun up more securely in his arms.

They bid him goodnight, but with eyes only for Kihyun, his swollen lips, his flushed face, his messy hair, his perfect ass on display underneath Hyunwoo’s arms.

“I believe it was a very good night, wasn’t it, Dr. Yoo?” Councilman Theirry asked with a grin.

Kihyun’s mouth parted, stunned silent.

“Oh, has the cat finally caught your tongue?” Councilman Ames teased.

Hyunwoo pecked Kihyun’s forehead. “Say goodnight, baby. You won’t be seeing them again.”

Kihyun swallowed, his mouth dry. “Goodnight. It was a pleasure meeting you,” Kihyun said uncertainly.

“Not nearly as much as you were pleasured tonight, I’m sure,” Councilman Dravis said.

“Oh, god,” Kihyun whispered.

Hyunwoo grinned and nodded to them before walking out of the lounge with Kihyun.

Once clear of the doors, Kihyun smacked Hyunwoo’s shoulder and Hyunwoo set him down.

Kihyun threw his top at him and Hyunwoo caught it, amused. He threw it over his shoulder and leisurely made his way down the hall to the stairs while Kihyun struggled to get the robe back on. When he finally managed to tie the sash, he had to jog to catch up with Hyunwoo.

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Kihyun demanded.

Hyunwoo rose a brow at him like he was crazy. “I can’t help that you’re loud, Kihyun. Did you want me to stop? Leave you high and dry?”

Kihyun frowned. “How bad was it?”

Hyunwoo smiled. Kihyun looked distressed, the poor dear. 

“Loud, but so fucking hot,” Hyunwoo answered, ruffling his messy hair. 

“I didn’t-I don’t remember.” Kihyun worried his lip with his fingers. “What did I say?”

“Nothing coherent.”

Hyunwoo smirked and started up the stairs backwards, facing Kihyun, who stood at the bottom. “It was a lot of ‘mmmh, unh, uh, oh my god, Captain, hunngh, fuck, I can’t, I can’t, please, Hyunwoo, oh, oh , OH, nnn, ah, ah, Ah, Sir!’ on shuffle, of course. You get the picture, yes?”

Hyunwoo thought he did a pretty good job in replicating it if he did say so himself and it echoed in the large chamber.

Kihyun’s face matched the red of his robe, both mortified and angry. Did his friends hear all that? Of course, they did.

Hyunwoo took in the angry line of his mouth. “What are you so upset about? We had fun, didn’t we? You wanted to prove a point and you proved it without even trying. That’s the best way. I can’t even be mad about it.”

Kihyun crossed his arms, forehead creasing.

“What do you think people thought we were doing in there? Coloring?”

“No,” Kihyun retorted, defensive.

Hyunwoo leaned against the banister, five stairs up, and sized Kihyun up. The man was way too uptight for someone who came as hard as he did just a short while ago. Maybe it was time to bring one of Kihyun’s fantasies to life.

With a grin, he sauntered back down to the stair above Kihyun and took the sash in his fingers. “Maybe what you need is for that filthy mouth of yours to be stuffed.”

He untied the sash and pulled it free from the loops with a light tug, enjoying how the front slid open, exposing Kihyun to him once again.

“Hyunwoo...” Kihyun complained softly, not in the mood. He grabbed the ends, pulling them closed and crossing his arms over them again.

Hyunwoo wrapped the silk around his hand and brought it down the side of Kihyun’s face softly. “Perhaps that’s been the answer all along. Stuff something in there so you can’t get yourself into trouble.” 

Kihyun glared up at him.

Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s crossed arm and pulled him up onto the stair with him, pushed him up against the banister, and trapped him with a hand at either side.

“You would have liked that, wouldn’t you? Such a depraved little mind for a respected doctor.”

He pushed a knee between Kihyun’s legs and it knocked one off the stair. Kihyun’s arms uncrossed and shot out to hold Hyunwoo’s biceps.

Kihyun looked up at him sullenly. “What are you doing?”

“Loosening you up,” Hyunwoo said, pushing the robe off his shoulders. It slid down to his elbows.

“By pissing me off?” Kihyun countered.

Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s dangling leg, hand sliding down the back of his thigh and gripping behind his knee. He lifted the leg up and placed his foot up on the banister.

“Hyunwoo!” Kihyun exclaimed, letting go of one of Hyunwoo’s arms to grab onto the banister and getting up on his tippy toe to hold the position.

Hyunwoo massaged the underside of his extended thigh to down to buttocks as he crowded Kihyun up against the railing, kissing behind his ear.

“Is this really necessary?” Kihyun asked, but without the heat from earlier, tilting his head to provide better access.

“You tell me,” Hyunwoo murmured, nibbling at his ear as he stroked up and down his thigh and grazed his blunt nails against Kihyun’s cheek.

Kihyun shuddered, swallowing.

Hyunwoo smiled down at him, victorious. “I guess it is,” he said, closing the distance between them with a kiss. 

Kihyun leaned up into it as much as he could in the limiting position as Hyunwoo massaged the underside of his knee and calf.

Hyunwoo pulled away with a long bite at his lower lip and looked down his front, the come and precome dried and marking the black lighter. “You are so dirty.”

“Fuck y-”

Hyunwoo stuffed the red sash into his mouth, as if he was ready and waiting for Kihyun to say it, pushing the swath in with his thumb and effectively cutting Kihyun off. “See? It’s already saving you from trouble. You were about to make a grave mistake right there. Such a potty mouth, you have. We may have had fun tonight, but don’t you ever forget that I’m still your captain.”

Kihyun eyes blazed and his hand left the railing to pull it out, but Hyunwoo caught it, calmly bringing it back to the railing and setting his hand atop Kihyun’s.

“I want you to take this time and think about all the times you’ve talked back to me over the past two years, losing your temper, forgetting your station, embarrassing yourself with your little outbursts of defiance.”

He didn’t say it loudly, but the noises carried so well in the stairwell, he may as well have.

Hyunwoo brought his mouth to Kihyun’s neck again, sucking a trail of kisses across it.

Kihyun was getting turned on despite himself and he had to breathe through his nose as Hyunwoo did whatever the fuck he felt like.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so quiet. Must have a lot to reflect on,” Hyunwoo mused, running his palm from his ass to the inside of his raised thigh before delivering a sharp slap to his ass. It echoed in the stairwell.

Kihyun bucked forward on his tippy toe, nearly losing his balance. He moaned through the silk, face turning red.

Hyunwoo smiled down at him and delivered a slap to his thigh.

Kihyun grunted and almost lost his footing on the banister.

“Keep it up,” Hyunwoo ordered and slapped his ass again, squeezing it roughly.

Without his mouth, Kihyun’s eyes became all the more expressive. Hyunwoo almost considered it a fair trade. “It’s funny, Kihyun, because I think you like my position over you. So, it begs the question, why do you act out? Why do you push me? Is it because what you really want is this?”

Hyunwoo spanked him again and Kihyun jolted. When he settled, Hyunwoo spanked twice quick succession and Kihyun cried out through the silk, eyes looking up at him desperately.

“I bet you’d like this in place of community service, wouldn’t you?” He grabbed his cheek, squeezing the pink flesh in his hand as he moved it around.

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Kihyun. If that’s what you want, you’re going about it all wrong.” Hyunwoo slapped his other cheek for the first time and Kihyun buckled before finding his footing again.

“See? Look at yourself. You’re getting hard and wet again. Why would this be a punishment?”

The pad of Kihyun’s foot was beginning to tire from the prolonged position.

“Drop the robe, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun let go of Hyunwoo’s arm and the banister and let the robe drop from his arms to the stairs.

“Good.” Hyunwoo smacked his ass again.

“Drop your leg.”

Kihyun lifted his leg off the banister and brought it to the stair, relieved to have his other foot flat against the floor again.

“Good boy,” Hyunwoo murmured, slapping his other cheek.

“Lean over the railing,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s eyes widened as he looked down the hall, but did as commanded. His toes hung off the floor as he moved over the railing and held on, his ass up high in the air as his front fell over to the other side. Once secure, he let his arms fall over with him.

Hyunwoo placed a hand at his lower back to steady him and spanked both cheeks sharply. “Are you seeing the pattern, yet?”

Kihyun made what sounded like confirmation through the wad of silk in his mouth.

“Do you want to be a good officer for me?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun nodded his head.

Out of nowhere, steps echoed down the hall.

“Stay where you are,” Hyunwoo said, hand still at his back as he stood behind him, his body largely blocking Kihyun from view, though the position was obvious.

Heart racing, Kihyun heard the steps, a group of them, make their way up the stairs. He couldn’t see anything from his side of the banister, but they sounded to be taking the stairs far too slowly, like they were taking in Kihyun’s reddened ass sticking up in the air as they ascended.

It made his stinging cheeks burn hotter, and he wondered if they might still be at the top of the stairs watching. A part of him hoped they were and the thought of it made him harder. Submitting to Hyunwoo was electrifying, and he wanted to show Hyunwoo or anyone else passing by how good he could be for him.

“All of a sudden, you follow my directions so well,” Hyunwoo said, taking his hand off his back to grip both his cheeks, pulling them apart.

“Do you like following my directions, Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asked, blowing lightly on his hole.

Kihyun hummed through the silk and nodded his head.

Hyunwoo moved the string out of his cleft and snapped it against his cheek, where it stayed.

Kihyun was breathing heavily, blood rushing to his head, clueless about Hyunwoo’s intention or next step.

“Do you know what good officers get, Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asked offhandedly.

Kihyun shook his head with a small grunt.

“They get rewards,” Hyunwoo replied, spreading his inner cheeks to stretch the hole and spitting on it.

Kihyun moaned, glad Hyunwoo had him by the ass, because he probably would have fallen over the railing.

Hyunwoo spit on his hole again and Kihyun panted, anticipating a touch from Hyunwoo that never came. Hyunwoo spit once again then rubbed his cheeks together, spreading it around.

Kihyun whined, feeling the wetness and cool air on him when Hyunwoo spread his cheeks again and blew. This whole thing was so fucking filthy.

“Do you want your reward Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Mmm,” Kihyun replied, nodding his head furiously.

“Right here?” Hyunwoo inquired. He leaned over the banister to make eye contact. “Where anyone can walk by?”

Kihyun looked up at him from his bent down position and nodded.

Hyunwoo stood back up and bumped his hips against Kihyun’s ass in a mockery of fucking that was actually really doing it for Kihyun as he became wetter.

Hyunwoo sighed. “There are so many rewards I’d like to give you. Unfortunately, our agreement still applies,” he said as he snapped his hips against Kihyun’s cheeks. 

“Do you still want to be my good officer?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun moaned in affirmation.

“Take the silk out of your mouth. I want to hear you get your reward.”

Kihyun opened his mouth and pulled it out, letting it drop to the floor over the banister.

“Mind your words now, Kihyun. Are you enjoying being my good boy?”

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun cried, feeling the snaps of Hyunwoo’s hips and cock against his ass through the pants. His ass jiggled with each slap.

“Are you going to complain about not getting filled up tonight?”

“No, Sir. I won’t.”

“That’s what I want to hear. What will you do?”

“I’ll take anything you decide to give me, Sir.”

Hyunwoo stopped to grind his cloth covered erection up Kihyun’s cleft. “What if this is all I decide to give you?”

Kihyun whined at the friction. “Then, I’ll take it, Sir.”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Kihyun, you are my perfect angel.”

Hyunwoo wet his fingers in his mouth and brought them to Kihyun’s rim, circling the ring.

Kihyun startled and, immediately, soft grunts broke free of his mouth. There wasn’t anything he could do in this position, but hang and take it.

Hyunwoo leaned down to spit on him again and rubbed it around.

“More, please, Sir,” Kihyun gasped.

“More what?”

“Please spit on me. Push it in me, Sir,” Kihyun pleaded.

Hyunwoo spread his hole with his fingers on either side and spit again on the opening.

Kihyun hummed. “More, Sir.”

Hyunwoo shook his head, smiling. Kihyun was perfect. He spit on him again, pushing and fingering it into the opening, where it gathered and shined under the lights above as his hole clenched and unclenched.

“You like that?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo circled his rim again, picking up the pace. “Why do you like it?”

“I can pretend it’s your come, Sir,” Kihyun panted.

Hyunwoo groaned, feeling that remark like a kick to the stomach. He dropped down to plant a kiss on his ass cheek and mouth at it. It was his intention to make Kihyun come on his finger and call it a night, take care of himself in the shower, but Kihyun just broke him. He unzipped his pants and pulled himself out from his underwear, sneaking a hand under Kihyun to wet his hand in the mess and slick his cock up with it.

Kihyun’s spit-coated hole was shining under the light from the chandelier and Hyunwoo tapped his cock against it.

“Oh, my god,” Kihyun moaned, violently arching up in surprise and almost falling over the banister back to stairs before Hyunwoo pushed him back over.

“Don’t get too excited, Kitten. I’m not fucking you, but I am going to paint that ass.” Hyunwoo rubbed the head of his cock over Kihyun’s hole and the man shivered.

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun cried, his body thrumming.

Hyunwoo slid his dick across Kihyun’s cheeks, the slickness on his cock leaving wet trails. “Do you want it? My come on your ass?” He bounced his cock on Kihyun’s cheeks.

Kihyun whimpered. “Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo pushed the head into the globes, the flesh indenting as he drew it across them, his own precome smearing the spank-blushed cheeks. “Tell me. How much do you want it?”

“Hyunwoo...,” Kihyun quivered. “I can’t-,” Kihyun let out a frustrated whine, “I can’t think.”

Hyunwoo peaked over the railing. Kihyun’s eyes were wet, he looked like he was silently sobbing, arms dangling past his head helplessly.

“That’s okay. I’ve got you,” Hyunwoo said. He lined his cock in his cleft and rocked forward, watching his cock glide up and down slowly between the cheeks. 

Hyunwoo moaned, thrusting up Kihyun’s cleft, past the point of teasing, slapping his hips against his ass in abandon. Kihyun really did sound like he was sobbing now and Hyunwoo fucking loved it, loved being the cause of Kihyun falling apart, that he felt this so much he was crying. Loved that he was going to be the one to stop it, too, to make it all better.

Kihyun was sweating, his rim massaged by Hyunwoo’s velvety, hard cock with each thrust. Hyunwoo held him by the cheeks and squeezed them together over his plunging cock. His whole being centered at his hole as Hyunwoo’s cock endlessly slid over it. There wasn’t a second when it wasn’t alight with pleasure, and Kihyun was inconsolable because it was everything and not enough.

Kihyun somehow managed to lift his ass higher in the position and Hyunwoo had to grip his ass tighter and push him down to keep him from falling over completely.

“Captain!” Kihyun was losing his damn mind. There was nothing to hold on to bent over the banister like this and he was already fast approaching the end. His hand slapped against the base of the stair. “Hyunwoo,” he moaned, and choked on his spit, coughing. “I have to! I have to,” Kihyun wailed.

“Go on, baby. Do it,” Hyunwoo grunted, sliding fast and hard between Kihyun’s cheeks. Kihyun was so fucking hot.

Kihyun’s hands gripped his hair in fists as the pressure spiked, eyes squeezing shut as he opened his mouth on a silent scream, convulsing, his rim fluttering as he his cock weakly spurted. Kihyun moaned lowly, shuddering. Maybe it was from all the blood in his head, but the orgasm wracked his body. It still felt like it was going, or maybe it was just so powerful the phantom feeling of it remained. Kihyun’s arms hung limply past his head.

Hyunwoo stopped abruptly feeling Kihyun’s rim actually flutter against him, but by the time he pulled back to look it was only twitching. He slipped a hand under Kihyun again, gathering more slickness and running it up his cock. He ran his head over Kihyun’s twitching hole and was so tempted to just push in, but he stroked it instead, twisting over the head. He covered his dick with Kihyun’s cheeks again and rammed into them, pistoning in and out.

Kihyun’s slack body still jerked with the aftermath of his release or maybe it was from Hyunwoo abusing the over-sensitized rim, but he wasn’t in the mind frame to ask, chasing his own release. A pressure welled deep within him, contractions building. It didn’t take much and on a guttural groan he took hold of his cock and with a few strokes painted Kihyun’s cheeks and hole.

Kihyun hummed at that and squirmed on the banister. He reached a tingling, numbed arm up and ran it up his ass, feeling the release and smearing it up his cleft and hole, shuddering.

Hyunwoo watched the erotic display, struck silent, trying to regain his breath. He realized Kihyun was now trying to push all the come to his hole and when he had enough he attempted to push it in with a finger. It didn’t do much, but Kihyun seemed appeased by the thought of Hyunwoo’s come inside him.

Christ. Hyunwoo leaned over Kihyun, resting his forehead at his back. Kihyun’s hand went back down over the banister and he heard licks and sucks in the silent stairwell.

“Fuck, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo whispered. He stayed like that for a moment, draped over Kihyun, before he had enough strength to pull Kihyun back over the side. Hyunwoo had his arms wrapped around him from behind as they dropped to the stairs.

Kihyun tilted his head up to him, dizzy, face and neck red from the upside down position.

Hyunwoo held a hand to his face and lightly kissed him, too tired to deepen it.

Kihyun closed his eyes as the kiss stopped and they just breathed, mouths against each other’s.

More steps echoed down the hall and Kihyun smiled against Hyunwoo’s mouth. They listened to the steps pass them up the stairs and retreat down a hall on the second floor.

Kihyun turned around to face him, forcing Hyunwoo’s arms to let go. He tucked Hyunwoo’s cock back into his underwear and zipped him up. Kihyun stood up, the world slightly tipping as he seized Hyunwoo’s shoulders.

Hyunwoo hands shot out to him to steady him as he stood as well. “I thought you yoga masters were used to being upside down.”

“Not quite like that,” Kihyun replied.

Hyunwoo moved the string back to Kihyun’s cleft as he reached down to pick up the robe and the top of his uniform, draping them over his arm. “You’ve gotten the banister wet,” Hyunwoo said.

“Shut up, Sir,” Kihyun sing-songed.

Hyunwoo smacked his ass. “You better run, Doctor.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened as he turned and dashed up the stairs clumsily.

“Gotta be faster than that,” Hyunwoo taunted, close on his heels, purposefully not catching him so he could enjoy the way Kihyun’s ass shook as he raced up the steps.

Kihyun laughed, heart racing, feeling Hyunwoo right behind him and he went faster, creating distance. As he was reaching the top of the steps and preparing to claim his victory, he whirled around so fast he lost his footing and his ass came down hard on the edge of the stone stair, teeth snapping together jarringly at the impact and biting his tongue.

Hyunwoo flinched.

“Ow,” Kihyun moaned.

Hyunwoo caught up to him and crouched down on the stair below. “Are you okay? That looked painful.”

Kihyun took hold of the banister and pulled himself up, wincing.

“Fine,” he said, lying. He held onto the banister and continued up the last stairs, each step fucking hurt his ass and his pride. He could taste copper in his mouth.

Hyunwoo picked him up without preamble and walked him down the hall and into their room. “I’m sorry, baby. Maybe tag isn’t the best game to play immediately after coming.”

“I’m such a loser. Why do you always get to be the cool one?” Kihyun grumbled.

Hyunwoo grinned. “Because I am the cool one. You’re the messy one.” He slid Kihyun down his body in front of the bathroom. “Go shower. That’s an order. You may smell sweet, but you’re absolutely filthy, so fucking dirty, it’s obscene. There is no way I’m letting you give that teddy back to them. It’s insulting.” Hyunwoo delighted in the fire flaring to life in Kihyun’s eyes.

Kihyun opened his mouth in shock. “I’m dirty because of you, you horny, ignorant-”

Hyunwoo pushed him into the bathroom and closed the door.

Kihyun kicked it and Hyunwoo could hear a small ‘ow’ behind the door. Hyunwoo felt a stupid smile stretch across his face. He could get used to this.

Kihyun turned on the shower, letting the water warm as he slid the teddy down his body and hung it on the hook behind the door. He stared at it as he slowly ran fingers down his face, over his lips, down his neck and torso, not quite believing that any of it happened. He hugged himself, closing his eyes and remembering Hyunwoo’s kisses. Turning away from the door, he did a double-take in the mirror, almost not recognizing himself. His hair stood every which way, mouth ravaged, cheeks flushed, eyes shining. Kihyun backed away, swallowing, and stepped under the now steaming water. As he robotically lathered his hair, he realized that when they got back to the ship, he was either going to be the happiest man alive or the fucking saddest.

—

Kihyun woke to the smell of coffee and when he opened his eyes, Minhyuk was standing over him like a shaman, wafting the steam around him.

Kihyun groaned. “Morning, Min.”

“Wow. You were out like a light. I was about to bring out the defibrillator. Rough night?” Minhyuk teased.

Kihyun struggled to sit up in bed, cringing at the pain in his ass and tailbone. He gratefully took the mug from Minhyuk. Hyunwoo was sitting at the table across the room, ready for the day, with Hoseok, Changkyun and Hyungwon.

How the hell did he not wake up? Everybody was ready.

Minhyuk eyed him curiously. “So, you’ve got like less than fifteen minutes until we leave. Can you do it?”

Kihyun nodded, sluggish. He drank half the mug and set it on the nightstand, slipped his legs over the bed and stood.

Then, nearly fell to the floor, grabbing onto Minhyuk to keep from falling. 

Kihyun groaned in pain, hand coming to his ass, as let go of Minhyuk and leaned forward on the bed, bracing his weight on his arm.

“No way,” Minhyuk whispered, mouth falling open.

“Oh, my God.” Hoseok’s eyes darted back and forth from Kihyun to Hyunwoo.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes and drank from his mug.

Hyunwoo rose, concerned. “Kihyun, are you okay?”

“Yes. Just fine. Sore,” Kihyun answered dismissively. He didn’t have much time and limped to his suitcase.

“Christ, Hyunwoo, what the fuck did you do to him?” Hoseok accused.

Kihyun almost tripped on nothing.

“Yoo Kihyun. You dirty little nympho,” Minhyuk advanced on him, grinning maniacally.

“No! No, no, no, no. We didn’t-It wasn’t-Stair,” Kihyun said stupidly, looking around the room, then intently delved into his suitcase. It really wasn’t anyone’s business in the first place, was it? 

Minhyuk peeked down the back of his sleep shorts as he was pulling out a new uniform and underwear. 

“Babe, you’re black and blue,” Minhyuk said.

“It’s a bruise. I’ll take care of it on the ship.”

“That’s not a bruise, that’s a continent,” Minhyuk stated, still looking down the back of his shorts.

“Do you mind?” Kihyun sighed as he hobbled to the bathroom, Minhyuk still trailing behind him, looking.

Minhyuk let go of the elastic and it slapped back against Kihyun’s skin with a snap.

Kihyun turned around to give Minhyuk a dirty look, then went into the bathroom. Min followed him in and closed the door.

“Those two are so fucking weird,” Hyungwon muttered.

Hyunwoo nodded, scrolling down his tablet, but kept glancing at the bathroom door. Kihyun seemed fine when he crawled into bed last night.

Hoseok wouldn’t stop staring at Hyunwoo. 

Hyunwoo resolutely ignored him. Until he couldn’t. After a moment, he finally looked up at Hoseok.

“Really? Do you think I hurt him? He fell on a stair.”

“Just checking. As your sparring partner, I can tell you that sometimes you don’t know your own strength. Happens in the field all the time. Ki’s hardly a weakling, but he’s tiny compared to you, and he bruises like a peach. You need to be careful. If I see bruises, I’ll give you matching ones. This has been my Hyung Talk.”

Hyungwon shook his head at Hoseok, judging.

“It was a stair,” Hyunwoo repeated, pouring a second cup of coffee. He looked back up at Hoseok, annoyed. “And, he’s not that tiny.”

“Yes, he is,” Hyungwon said.

“No, he’s not,” Changkyun said.

“Of course, you’d say that, you’re just as small,” Hyungwon taunted.

Changkyun flipped him off.

Kihyun limped back out, brushing his teeth while putting his socks on his feet at his suitcase. He slipped his feet into the boots and Minhyuk sat down to tie them. Kihyun gave him a frothy smile. Teamwork.

Jooheon barged in the room frantic as if he was accidentally left behind. He relaxed when he saw everyone. “Morning,” he called.

There was a chorus of unenthusiastic and distracted greetings.

Jooheon took the last seat at the table.

“When did my bedroom become everyone’s lounge?” Hyunwoo said to no one in particular.

He intended to have a moment alone with Kihyun this morning, but the man wouldn’t wake despite his gentle shakes and taps, despite packing his suitcase as loudly as possible, and despite shouting his thanks to the breakfast maid and purposefully bumping the cart into the bed. He had gotten the impression that Kihyun was an early riser, but perhaps the trip had caught up to him. The past two nights were...eventful, to say the least. After a while, he stopped trying to rouse the man, feeling guilty. But, he had wanted to talk with Kihyun this morning. Alone.

When he woke up this morning and looked down at Kihyun, whose face was again pressed into his bicep, he suddenly worried that waiting to talk to Kihyun was a mistake. Last night, Hyunwoo felt confident that Kihyun would be agreeable to a relationship. Upon waking, Hyunwoo wasn’t so sure. Kihyun was prone to over-thinking things, combing through a problem and finding every possible thing that could go wrong. And, when he thought about it, a lot could go wrong.

He remembered Kihyun telling him once as they cooked dinner that the Newton was the first time he felt like he had a home since he was boy. Kihyun loved the ship, perhaps as much as Hyunwoo. He may not want to risk a relationship that could turn sour. The Newton was his home. Hyunwoo was his captain. If things fell through, which was always a possibility in any relationship, things could become awkward, uncomfortable, even painful. 

In addition, dating a captain had its drawbacks. Hyunwoo was busy. Always. He was often called away, days at a time, especially near Star Bases and Earth. He lost count of the times he had a moment to himself, a moment to give to someone else, before being called to the bridge for this or that. He was never off duty, even when he was off duty.

Dates, in general, were problematic. He wouldn’t be able to offer Kihyun much in terms of dating. He was usually tethered to the ship and when he wasn’t; it was because he was at meetings, leading operations in the field, visiting foreign dignitaries. That chafed at Hyunwoo. Kihyun deserved dates. He deserved everything.

As a captain, Kihyun was still a source of concern. There would undoubtedly come a time when Kihyun pushed him as a captain and he’d have to respond accordingly. He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d throw him in the brig the next time. Hyunwoo doubted Kihyun would welcome his presence in bed or anywhere near him after a night in a cell. Minding that line between professionalism and personal was difficult, especially when you lived and worked in the same space. All in all, things could get complicated, messy, combative. Hyunwoo still wanted to try. He fervently hoped Kihyun was willing to try as well.

He wished he had given in to Kihyun’s desire to talk last night, in the alcove. Now, Kihyun was awake and the room full. He lost his chance to speak with him. Hyunwoo was slightly worried. Kihyun hadn’t looked his way once this morning. The room was big, but not that big.

Hyunwoo rubbed his temple, recognizing that it was his selfishness that made him think this way. Despite his misgivings this morning, deep down, he knew his initial plan of waiting until their return was the right decision. Kihyun should think about it, about the things that could go wrong, about the things Hyunwoo couldn’t give him. They were thrown together for the past 36 hours, and it was exquisite, but it wasn’t reality. It was only a handful of hot, passionate hours. Kihyun deserved the time to think about what happened here in his own reality. He might not feel the same on the ship. He might not feel the same now. 

He’d give Kihyun the day, but this evening, he’d talk to him, tell him what he wanted. Hopefully, Kihyun was like-minded. Then, he could spend the night doing all the things he wanted to do since they arrived.

If Kihyun responded negatively that was fine. _For now._ It wouldn’t stop him from using every Saturday evening against him, from standing too close as they washed dished together, from accidentally brushing against him in the turbo lift, from unflinchingly staring into his eyes as Kihyun explained his department’s activities at their weekly meetings, causing the man trip over his words, as he always did. He was a man; he fought for what he wanted, and he would fight until Kihyun definitively told him to stop.

Kihyun limped out of the bathroom once again with his toiletry bag while running a brush through his hair.

Jooheon kicked Hyunwoo’s shin under the table. “Hyung!” he accused.

“It was a stair,” Hyunwoo stressed.

Minhyuk came out of the bathroom with Kihyun’s folded pajamas and sat on the floor next to Kihyun, arranging the items in the suitcase.

“You made it,” Minhyuk said.

Kihyun smiled, zipping up the suitcase. “Just like old times.” 

A maid came by to take Kihyun’s and Hyunwoo’s suitcases to the gate.

Changkyun corralled them and they headed down the stairs together.

“So, what’s happening?” Hyunwoo asked.

“A quick goodbye with the family. Ignatious, Hollyean and Levania, I believe,” Changkyun replied.

They gathered at the bottom of the stairs and Changkyun looked around. “Okay. Let’s get this show on the road. Who’s missing?”

Kihyun was still on the first flight of stairs. “I’m coming,” he called, hand on the banister, taking one stair at a time.

Hyunwoo sighed and made his way up.

Kihyun pointed at him. “Don’t you dare. I can do it.”

“No one’s saying you can’t,” Hyunwoo said as he took the stairs two at time.

“This is merely for efficiency. Think of the piles of work that are increasing with each second you’re not in your office,” Hyunwoo continued, meeting him at stair below.

“Come on, arms around my neck. You know the drill by now.”

Kihyun pursed his lips, but wrapped his arms around his neck as Hyunwoo picked him up and brought him down to everyone else. He lowered Kihyun to the ground, and they followed Changkyun out the antechamber doors.

Hyunwoo slowed his steps to stay beside Kihyun.

Hyunwoo frowned. “Why didn’t you say it was this bad last night?”

“It wasn’t this bad last night. And, it’s not bad. I wasn’t run through with a sword, I fell on my ass. I’ll survive.”

“I can carry-,” Hyunwoo started.

Kihyun scoffed. “I think not. I’m perfectly capable,” he replied and pushed himself to go faster, the crew already way ahead of them.

“You are so stubborn,” Hyunwoo said.

“I prefer headstrong,” Kihyun replied.

“I want you to come by my quarters this evening, after work. We need to talk,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun glanced up at him, nervous. The coffee churned in his belly, making him feel ill. “Yes, Captain.”

An uncomfortable silence lay between them as they inched their way to the group at the bottom.

Ignatious beamed at their slow descent and when they finally reached them, Ignatious clapped a hefty hand at Hyunwoo’s shoulder as if congratulating him on Kihyun’s pain.

Kihyun attempted a sweet smile.

They clasped hands with everyone and said goodbye. Ignatious squeezed Kihyun, the last in line, in a one-armed hug.

Levania pulled him into a hug as well. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Kihyun kissed her cheek and said goodbye, joining the others.

Hyunwoo hit his com. “Seven to beam up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, there are not too many errors. Nearly 20,000 words are hard to proofread without my eyes getting all wonky.
> 
> On a personal note, sorry for the long delay. It was honestly because this chapter was super hard. If you only knew how many massive edits and drafts it went through before basically going back to the first one, smh. At one point Hyunwoo was taking Kihyun in front of everyone and it was hot and dirty, but so ooc. I woke up the next morning and was like?!?!?! --DELETE--- Hyunwoo wouldn't do that, he may be super hard for Kihyun, but he's so soft for him, too. He views Kihyun as a potential boyfriend, not some Section 31 mission.
> 
> Then, in another draft, that 'fight' on the couch became so intense and hurtful that any of the sexiness that followed didn't make sense. Anyways,thousands and thousands of words added and deleted over and over again over the past two weeks before I forced myself to post today. For my own sanity, I need to move on from Terlesia and it's probably why the ending seems a little rushed. 
> 
> Needless to say, so happy to have them back on the ship now. I'm going to go get drunk. Happy New Year, everyone!


	14. Siren Bound

_“I want you to come by my quarters this evening, after work. We need to talk.”_

...

Unfortunately, the day didn’t go according to plan.

“Captain on bridge,” Ensign Cleary announced as Hyunwoo, Hoseok and Hyungwon entered.

First Lieutenant Shrier stood from the captain’s chair. “Welcome back, Captain.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Lieutenant,” he greeted, taking stock of the deck and crew. “Anything to report?”

“Actually, yes, Captain,” Shrier replied. “As of fifteen minutes ago.”

Hyunwoo’s brow rose. “What is it?”

“There’s been catastrophic seismic activity on Yerrit, magnitude 9.5. They’ve sent out an SOS for aid. Medical, specifically. We’re the closest starship.”

“Are they expecting more activity?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Unclear, Sir. The aftershocks have stopped, and they regained communication capability momentarily, but it’s gone again. From what I could tell, they had no warning.”

“Lieutenant Chae, set a course for Yerrit. Lieutenant Shrier, continue attempts at a connection.” Hyunwoo looked to Hoseok. “Commander, follow me to sickbay.”

Hoseok nodded, falling in line beside him as they rode the turbolift. It wasn’t lunchtime yet and the day already felt too long. They shared a knowing look. It was going to be one of those days. They strode into medical and Hyunwoo surveyed the area.

“Where is Dr. Yoo?” he asked Nurse Jea.

“With Dr. Messing in Room 5, Captain,” she stated.

Hyunwoo knocked, and the door slid open a moment later. Kihyun was putting on his lab coat as Dr. Messing stored an instrument on the wall.

“Good as new, Doctor,” she said to Kihyun.

“Thank you, Jillian,” Kihyun replied and met the duo at the door.

“Don’t tell me you finally found the time to pencil your _mandatory_ physical into your busy schedule?” Kihyun asked. He looked at Hoseok and grinned back up at Hyunwoo. “Bring someone to hold your hand?”

“Not quite,” Hyunwoo said. “There’s been an emergency on Yerrit. The details are unknown, but they’ve asked for aid. You’ll need to assemble a team and supplies you want to take with you. Start taking them to transport room two.”

He nodded to Hoseok. “Hoseok’s team will be going with you and he’ll be calling the shots. Communications are down and we don’t really know what we’re walking into down there. If, at any point, he feels it’s too dangerous, he’ll be pulling you out.”

Kihyun pursed his lips at that. “Yes, Captain. I take it this is more of a damaged bodies situation, not an outbreak of something?”

Hyunwoo nodded.

Kihyun moved out of the room, pressing a button on a wall outside. “All first shift medical personnel, prepare for code orange to Transport Room Two.”

Kihyun walked to his office, the door sliding open at his approach. “What _can_ you tell me?” He opened the bottom drawer of a cabinet on the far wall and pulled out a duffel. He slung it cross-body over his shoulder.

“Not much. Earthquake or earthquakes.”

“Localized?”

“Undetermined.”

Kihyun frowned, walking back out. A nurse ran towards him with a tablet and Kihyun read over it, placing his hand over it for a biometric scan of his approval.

Hyunwoo watched the crew flit about the department, fast and focused, a well-oiled machine. “How can we help?”

Kihyun stared up at him with clear eyes. “Get us there so we can get started.”

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun stood frozen for a total of five seconds, taking in the leveled the city. If it were true they had no warning, the casualties would be high. Feeling the presence of his crew behind him, he adopted a neutral, commanding expression. He yelled back at the first team of leads to beam down with him among the chaos circling them. 

“Set up the tents and equipment. For now, three for critical, three for noncritical. Standard formation. Keep one for simple lacerations and clean up and another for broken bones. Most life threatening go into Tent One and Tent Two. I need volunteers for triage. Let’s go!”

He tapped his commbadge. “Send second shift.”

“Walk with me,” he asked Hoseok as he ventured into the rubble, fastening a medical belt around his waist.

The gravel crunched under their boots. “If your team can help put the tents up so mine can get equipment up and running faster. Two armed guards inside the critical tents, if you can spare it.”

He stopped and coughed into his elbow, the dust from the fallen buildings heavy in the air. Unzipping his pouch, he pulled out medical mask and put it on, securing the straps behind his ears.

He slowed a man stumbling toward the crew, examining him. He pulled orange tape from his pouch and tied it around his arm. “You see that farthest tent being constructed? That’s yours. Slow down, they’re not going anywhere.”

“Are you worried?” Hoseok asked.

“Not really, but loved ones can get upset if they feel we ought to see their husband or daughter before others, and people will do crazy things for the ones they love. I also need your team to keep family members out. We don't have the room and they only slow us down with questions. This is not a clinic, this is a trauma center. If they are minors, then one guardian is allowed. No exceptions. There will undoubtedly be people trying to search the tents for the missing, and while I feel for them, we cannot accommodate them at the moment. These tents are going to get full fast. Perhaps tomorrow, if things settle down.”

Kihyun crouched down in front of a dazed young woman. “Your shoulder?”

“Yes.”

Kihyun pulled a light red ribbon out. “Anywhere else? Do you have any allergies?”

“No.”

Kihyun uncapped a marker and scribbled across the tape he tied around her uninjured arm. “I’m going to give you something for the pain. You'll be in tent five.” He injected her upper arm with an analgesic. 

He gently assisted the woman to her feet and turned back to Hoseok. “I imagine your team will be called upon to help extricate trapped civilians, but if you could leave a smaller team behind that would be great, especially soldiers that won’t get their panties all twisted over taking their orders from stressed physicians.”

Hoseok grinned. “Not a problem.”

“Dr. Yoo! You’re needed in Two for amputation!” Nurse Sechor yelled from home base.

Kihyun started an easy jog back, slowing as he reached the nurse. “For the love of God, Sechor, we have comms for a reason. We’re professionals, not animals.”

She snapped her mouth closed with an embarrassed blush. “Yes, Doctor.”

Hoseok watched Kihyun stride into Tent Two, disappearing behind the flap. It was the last he saw of him for two days.

—————————————————————————————————

Sixty-two hours later...

“Status report,” Hyunwoo asked a dust-covered Hoseok. He recently finished meeting with Yerrit’s leaders at the new settlement and walked the quarter mile to Yoo’s medical camp. 

“Still a steady stream of civilians coming in, but it’s under control. Hardly a blip compared to the first two days.”

“This is hardly anything?” He questioned, looking around at the organized chaos.

“In comparison, yes,” Hoseok stressed. “Yoo's got it down to a science. What brings you down here?”

“Starfleet's asked for me to make an assessment on whether we can pull out or not. They want the Newton on base for testing and diagnostics before we leave on our three-year mission to Siren. Jooheon tells me there are critical upgrades he needs to do on base, too.”

“Critical? Our girl's only two years old.”

Hyunwoo shared an amused smile with him. “She may be our girl, but she's Jooheon's baby.”

Hyunwoo rubbed the back of his neck, stiff from pouring over reports and checklists the last several days at his desk. Prepping for an expedition was no easy task. “And Dr. Yoo? Behind which door will I find him?”

“Lucky number one.”

“Come. You’ll likely need to collaborate.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The scent of antiseptic hit them when they passed through the opening. Beeping machines interrupted the hushed environment inside. Those out in the floor's open spoke with lowered voices. Regular operating room communication from behind curtains where drills or the clink of an instrument against a bowl or tray could be heard. For a main trauma center, the atmosphere was calm and strangely soothing. He’d been in them before during his time in the army and they were nothing like this. Kihyun had a way about him in times of crises. 

A few of the crew that noticed their entry nodded their heads in greeting while another pointed to the left side of the tent where modest cots were lined up. They were nothing like the gurneys or beds the patients were occupying. A woman was sleeping on one, her teal scrubs wrinkled and a thin pillow over her head blocking the light and sound. Two cots down from her, Kihyun was curled up in a ball, a hand stuffed under the flimsy pillow.

Doctor Nelson queued up behind them. “Good afternoon, Captain, Commander,” he said quietly. “Dr. Yoo finished three back-to-back back surgeries a while ago.” Nelson snickered at his joke. “Seventeen hours straight. It’s been the first time he’s been able to close his eyes since the first day, but he’s gotten a couple hours in now. Would you like me to wake him for you?”

Kihyun’s mask was still hooked behind one ear, his bandanna clutched between his fingers. 

Hyunwoo felt like a jerk. “Yes.”

Nelson approached Kihyun and crouched down onto his haunches. “Dr. Yoo.” He gently shook his shoulder.

The effect was instantaneous. Kihyun scrambled up from the low mattress. “What is it?” Kihyun asked quickly, pulling the mask back on and tying the bandanna over his hair again.

“No emergency. Captain Son needs to speak with you,” Nelson said, jerking his head to the side towards Hyunwoo and Hoseok.

Kihyun’s eyes traveled over to them.

Hyunwoo stepped forward. “Sorry to disturb your rest, Dr. Yoo. Can you give me an update?”

Kihyun stared at him blankly for a moment before shaking his head, snapping out of it. He pulled the mask down below his chin. “Of course, Captain. Follow me.”

Kihyun walked past him and Hyunwoo thought he smelled faintly like stale sugar and iodine. They followed behind him to the center. 

“This is the main trauma center. The more in-depth and sensitive surgeries are performed here. We’ve collectively completed seventy-five at my last check.” He looked over to Nelson for confirmation.

“Seventy-eight now, Doctor,” he corrected.

Kihyun pulled a protein bar out of his pants pocket and opened it, taking a bite. “Once they’re stable enough, they’re moved to Tent Two for observation. It’s packed. Three has become the center for minor procedures. In most cases, we send them back to their temporary settlement afterwards. Tent Four is bone damage, our most popular tent. Five has become general first aid and Six is now assessment for incoming patients.”

“Tent Three has performed roughly a few hundred procedures. Unfortunately, the ones coming into One now have only been pulled from the rubble recently and they’re incredibly weak, sometimes too weak to survive an operation. Those civilians are put in the stasis pods along the back there until they’ve stabilized enough or have regained enough strength after a couple rounds of IV fluid.” 

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo and Hoseok curiously. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to say something I don’t want to hear?”

“Starfleet’s asked if we can return to base. The ship needs to be assessed and stocked, Jooheon needs to upgrade our systems. Staying here much longer will put us off our estimated schedule for the Siren galaxy. Again.”

Kihyun huffed bitterly. “So, getting Terlesia to join the Federation was a worthy enough excuse to delay, but helping these people are not?”

“Nobody said that,” Hyunwoo replied, tone cautioning Kihyun to mind his attitude. “How much time do you need before you feel comfortable pulling out?”

“A week.”

That was considerably longer than Hyunwoo was thinking. “Is a full week necessary? Their leaders have told me they are working on constructing their own temporary hospital and that it is almost ready to receive.”

Kihyun nodded. “Yes, with our help. I need at least five days. Captain, please, don’t make me leave before then.”

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo deliberating. “Leave me behind with a team. You can pick us up when you’re done on Earth or I’m sure Yerrit wouldn’t mind dropping us off on base once things have settled a little more.”

A viable solution. “How big of a team?” Hyunwoo inquired.

Kihyun frowned. “Twenty or so. I’ll ask for volunteers.” His crew could very well be giving up their one chance to visit Earth for the next several years by staying.

“I can stay with a team, too,” Hoseok said. 

Kihyun looked to Hoseok gratefully.

Hyunwoo licked his lips and examined them both. Kihyun stood stubborn and scared, worried he might refuse and gearing up for a fight, which Kihyun most undoubtedly would. Then Hoseok, relaxed and cheerful.

“Very well. Dr. Yoo, stop eating that. Come aboard and eat a proper meal. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re the only one who hasn’t come back for rest yet. Eat. Take a shower. Organize your team.”

“Captain, I can’t just leave,” Kihyun argued.

“It wasn’t a request,” Hyunwoo corrected.

Dr. Nelson came up behind Kihyun and took the bar from his hand, taking a bite himself. “Go. We’ve got it under control. Believe it or not, we can manage a couple hours without you. By the time you get back, Morton and our John Doe Number 4 will be well enough for surgery.”

A shower sounded heavenly. His mouth watered at the thought of warm food that didn’t taste like chalk. “Okay. If you need me-”

“We can reach you on comms,” Nelson finished for him. “Don’t worry. We know the drill.”

“Right. Of course,” Kihyun replied. Why did he feel like he was abandoning a baby?

Hoseok grinned and forcefully started pushing him out of the tent, hands poking and pushing at his upper back. “You are such a micromanager.”

Kihyun turned around and hit Hoseok’s pestering hands away from him. “I am not. I can walk by myself, thank you very much.”

“Déjà Vu,” Hyunwoo muttered as he passed by Kihyun, reminding him of their exit from Terlesia a few days ago.

Kihyun stopped in his tracks and stared at Hyunwoo’s retreating back as he walked out the tent. His cheeks heated.

“What is up with you two?” Hoseok teased.

Kihyun side-eyed him. “Nothing,” he said and followed Hyunwoo out of the tent and away from Hoseok’s knowing eyes. It was futile. Hoseok was right behind him in a second.

“Finally getting that good love?” Hoseok pressed with a smirk.

“Shut up,” Kihyun replied in a tone that insinuated bodily harm would follow if he didn’t comply. 

“Thank fucking god,” Hoseok exclaimed, stretching his arms up in the air. He placed his hands at the back of his head as he walked alongside Kihyun in the hot afternoon sun.

Kihyun rolled his eyes. He looked like a total tool. Any opportunity to show off his muscles. Kihyun judged every pair of eyes that fell for it.

Captain Son was far ahead talking to some of Hoseok’s team. Hyunwoo kicked an errant soccer ball back to a group of children. Children that shouldn’t be in this area, Kihyun thought bitterly, but he didn’t have the heart to scold them. A lot of orphans were created this week. He knew all too well how that felt.

“I’d like to thank you personally. Captain gets all tight and constipated without an outlet and, as the honorary best friend, I end up the victim, exhausted and beaten in the dojo. I have a life too, you know? Though, I must say, I totally lost the pot on you two. Everybody did. I guessed it would take three days after your interview. Hyungwon said the night of the Newton’s christening. Changkyun said it would be after you healed him for the first time.”

Kihyun scoffed and pushed him. Hoseok barely stumbled, but at least it forced him to lower his arms and walk like a normal person. “You placed bets?! Two years ago? We didn’t even talk then.”

Hoseok gave him a dubious eye. “Ki, you two could power up the northern hemisphere with the electricity you generate.”

Kihyun knew his faced looked a little dumb right now, but this was kind of a revelation. It supported Hyunwoo’s comment about driving him crazy the past two years as truth. Minhyuk was right, he was a dumb shit sometimes.

“I need to beg a favor,” Hoseok asked.

“What?” Kihyun said distractedly, fingers playing with his bottom lip in thought.

“If you could wear him out good on Saturdays and Tuesdays, like level him, I’d greatly appreciate it. He keeps cutting into my time with Mindy. Maybe slap on that pinky-red lip stuff for Saturday dinners? He loves that one. Popsicle Tuesdays shouldn’t be hard, you just do your thing.”

Kihyun punched his bicep hard. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Hoseok held it to him and looked at Kihyun with wide eyes. “I thought doctors swore to do no harm?” he accused.

“Did I harm you?” Kihyun returned waspishly.

Hoseok pshaw'd like the thought of Kihyun being capable injuring him was laughable. “No,” he informed, insulted. He did, however, rub his bicep. “Jesus, looks like you could use the outlet, too.”

Fire flared in Kihyun’s eyes and Hoseok put distance between them to stave off anymore punches. 

Hyunwoo returned to them with a few of the crew in tow, their shifts ending. “If you two are done playing,” Hyunwoo inquired blandly.

“I don’t know, Captain, I think Dr. Yoo could use some playtime.”

Kihyun’s punch didn’t land until they materialized back in the transport room.

Hyunwoo witnessed the ‘ _thwap_ ’ with a raised brow. “I’ve always felt play was all the more enriching after I completed my chores. Then you can play as long as you want and as hard as you want with no interruptions.”

Kihyun cursed the blood vessels in his face. The innuendo wasn’t lost on the crew, who suddenly found themselves profoundly interested in today’s menu as they hustled out the door.

“Real smooth,” he grumbled and followed the escapees out of transport. He had no desire to look back and reveal his flushed face.

—————————————————————————————————

Minhyuk analyzed Kihyun from across the cafeteria table. “You look like shit.”

“Gee, thanks,” Kihyun said around a mouthful of cauliflower.

Minhyuk shrugged. “I cannot lie. Is that actual grease in your hair? Didn’t know that was even possible for you.”

Kihyun whined miserably and pulled the bandana out of his pocket, tying it over his hair again. He should have showered first, but his stomach won.

“I also can’t believe you’re not coming to Earth,” Minhyuk stated, cutting a seared steak from his own tray and transferring them to Kihyun’s vegetable bowl.

Kihyun smiled at the new addition and pierced one.

“I’m leaving you my credit card and a shopping list,” Kihyun replied.

Minhyuk nodded excitedly, pulling out a tablet. “Perfect. Let’s make one. Candy?”

“Mhh-hmm. Twenty bags of strawberry Australian licorice, the good kind, not that off-brand shit, and some of those chocolate cookie mint truffles. Ten bags?”

“Okay. Liquor?”

“Tequila, champagne, vodka. Wait. Won’t you be getting enough for the both of us?”

“Well, yes, but you can never have enough liquor,” Minhyuk replied.

“Oh! That reminds me,” Kihyun said, lowering his voice. “Hilda left some goodies in my luggage. That honey wine? I’m gifting it to you. Never again.”

“I have the best friend,” Minhyuk said wistfully. “I can’t wait to get that under a microscope.” He smiled diabolically. “Imagine the tests and trials.”

“Please exercise caution, Min,” Kihyun pleaded. “I really don’t want to spend the coming weeks draining your penis.”

“Who said I was going to test it on myself?”

Kihyun’s mouth dropped. “Do we need to have the ethics talk again?”

Minhyuk laughed. “Kidding. What else did they send you off with?”

“Sexy things,” Kihyun said. “I haven’t gotten a chance to examine them, but I think Julius grabbed anything he’d wanted to dress me in and threw it inside.” 

Minhyuk sighed dreamily. “This is going to be like a three-year honeymoon for you and the captain,” he grinned.

“We haven’t talked yet, Min. A little busy if you haven’t noticed,” Kihyun said.

Min gave him a judging look. “Don't be a jerk, Ki. I'm well aware of what's happening on the surface. I've been down there myself collecting samples and readings. Believe it or not, you're not the only person or department helping.”

“Sorry,” Kihyun apologized. “I didn't mean it like that.”

“Yes, you did.”

Minhyuk's eyes softened. “I know what these things do to you, but please remember there is more to you than your patients. Like me, for starters, who is trying his damndest to have a good time with you before he abandons you for Earth. Thank god Captain ordered you up here because I was about to beam down and kidnap you myself. Now, what else is going on this list? We’ve got candy, boos....”

“Sounds like my kind of party,” Jooheon said, taking a seat next to Minhyuk with a tray.

Kihyun looked at Jooheon’s selection. “You know, there is this food group known as vegetables, Jooheon. You should try it sometime.”

“I have vegetables,” Jooheon defended.

“Caramelized onions on top of two steaks don’t count.” Kihyun spooned some broccoli onto them.

Jooheon’s face twisted at the little green trees. “What kind of list is this?” Jooheon asked, reading Minhyuk’s tablet on the table.

“Kihyun’s necessaries for our Siren voyage,” Minhyuk said. “Now, where were we?”

Kihyun tapped the prongs of his fork to his bottom lip, thinking. “Body butter, the one from Saint Mamonde.” He did some calculations with his fingers. “Let’s see...twelve should do. Then, that oil from Gisepe’s. I like the vanilla pepper, the sweet tangerine and the rose hip. Surprise me with a new one.”

“Hair?”

“My regular. Fifteen bottles. Probably not a good time to try something new when I can’t exchange it.”

Minhyuk nodded. “Smart.”

Minhyuk wrote in lube and Jooheon groaned.

“Oh, please. Like it’s not on your list, too,” Minhyuk said.

Jooheon blushed. “It’s not.”

“Oh, that new camera. If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind seeing if it’s available? The last time I checked, it was still on back order. It’s the 888 Focus 5th Edition.”

Minhyuk nodded, writing ‘camera.’

“Make sure it’s the fifth edition.” Kihyun frowned, stressing at the lone word on the tablet. “Aren’t you going to write this down? Because, there is a lot of confusion between the-”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Kihyun looked constipated by Minhyuk’s careless scrawl and dismissal. There really was a lot of confusion between this model and the one simultaneously released.

Minhyuk grimaced and deflated, crossing a line through ‘camera.’ “Actually, since we’ll be apart for Christmas. I’ll give you my present early.”

“You mean-,” Kihyun started. His foot jiggled in anticipation causing a hectic tapping on the floor.

“I haven’t wrapped it yet,” Minhyuk said.

“You are the bestest friend anyone could ask for,” Kihyun dimpled with warm eyes.

“Do you two want to be alone?” Jooheon asked.

“How did you know?” Kihyun asked, ignoring Jooheon.

“You’ve been making moon eyes at it on your tablet the past five months,” Minhyuk replied. “Kind of hard to ignore.”

“Now my present to you will pale in comparison,” Kihyun said, put out.

“Nonsense. You give the best gifts. That wine alone is more than enough,” Minhyuk said.

“That’s a stocking stuffer,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk grinned.

“Please don’t make a gross joke with that,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk’s smile fell, deflated. He picked the stylus back up. “Underwear?”

Kihyun shook his head. “Just got some.”

“What are we missing?” Minhyuk mused.

“Video games?” Jooheon ventured.

Kihyun shrugged. “If I’m ever in the mood, you and Changkyun have me covered.”

“Toys?” Minhyuk inquired.

Kihyun bit his lip and gave a tiny nod, facing growing a little hot. “I’ll leave it to you.”

Minhyuk whistled. “That’s dangerous,” he replied evilly. “Your poor body won’t know what hit it, what with your poor excuse for a toy.”

“How-,” Kihyun asked.

“Oh, please. I know everything about you and your one boring, disappointingly modest dildo.”

Jooheon picked up his tray. “I’m going to go join my crew.”

Hyungwon approached them and Jooheon put a hand on his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t,” Jooheon warned.

Hyungwon shot them a look and nodded knowingly. “It’s a fucking cafeteria,” he scolded.

They sat a table of engineers across the room.

“Bye,” Minhyuk sing-songed.

“So innocent for such a randy young man,” Minhyuk said offhandedly before looking at Kihyun with a sad smile. “I wish you were coming.”

Kihyun returned the smile. “Me, too.”

He speared the last mushroom and green bean. “I might be able to make it for the last day or two. We’ll see.”

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun returned to the devastated surface two hours later freshly showered and refreshed. So many in his department volunteered to remain, he had to put his foot down and refuse more. He honestly could have cried with gratitude and pride and liked to think Hyungwon’s grinch heart would have grown three sizes if he were down here to witness it.

Hoseok stayed with thirteen of his own soldiers.

Shortly before the Newton’s departure, Hyunwoo beamed down to make sure they had everything needed and to thank everyone individually for their dedication and service. He waited for Kihyun in Tent One, who came out from behind an operating curtain. He pulled off his bloodied smock, gloves and mask, tossing them into a bio bin. He acknowledged him with a nod and went to the wash station, scrubbing his hands and arms.

“You’re off?” Kihyun asked, approaching him and drying his hands with a towelette.

“Yes. Are you sure you don’t need anything else?”

“I’m sure. I may have been a little overzealous, but better safe than sorry.”

Hyunwoo inclined his head to the opening of the tent, silently asking him to follow. They stepped out into the open, the afternoon sun waned in the distance and the sky took on a violet hue. Machines in the rubble continued to work and search for possible survivors. It wasn’t past the point of no return yet and even today more survivors arrived in the tents. The air was still dusty and a steady breeze carried it to and onto them. Kihyun stopped trying to keep tidy after the first day; it was a losing battle. 

“I feel a little callous leaving you all behind while the rest of us are going back home,” Hyunwoo confessed.

Kihyun smiled. “Well, your specific skill-set isn’t necessarily needed here.”

“My specific skill-set? And what exactly is that?” Hyunwoo returned a small smile.

“Bossy dictator? Dumb jock? Novice chef?”

Hyunwoo’s smile grew. “You should consider yourself lucky there is crew present, Dr. Yoo, or I'd have a mind to shut that mouth for you.”

Kihyun's breath caught. “At any rate,” he stumbled on, aiming for unaffected, “someone needs to keep an eye on Jooheon and these ‘modifications’ he’s implementing.”

Hyunwoo made a sound of agreement, then looked down at Kihyun, who stared into the distance. “I know our talk didn’t really pan out, but I wanted you to know that it is still very much on my mind. It seems a little disrespectful having it amid all this,” he said, watching a stretcher go by with a dusty, blood-soaked teenager.

“Rain check?” Kihyun ventured, sad eyes following the stretcher into One.

Hyunwoo nodded. “Rain check.”

Kihyun began backing up towards the tent and opened his mouth, hesitating. “Uh-It’s still very much on my mind, too. Our talk,” he confessed, biting at his inner lip.

Hyunwoo smiled warmly, and it woke the butterflies in his stomach.

“Take care of yourself down here, Dr. Yoo. Can’t give these people your best if you’re not nourished and rested,” Hyunwoo said.

“Yes, Captain,” Kihyun answered.

Hyunwoo hit his commbadge. “One to beam up.” He winked at Kihyun before the light took him.

The next five days progressed exactly as Kihyun predicted. The incoming civilians trickled down to zero. He was invited to the hospital for input and advice. While rudimentary, he deemed it capable. Post-op patients recovered enough to be transferred to the new hospital. He requested approval for donating their equipment to the facility and Hyunwoo approved the request two hours later from Earth. The Newton was on base, their supplies and equipment could be easily replaced.

“Packed up?” Hoseok and his men approached Kihyun.

“Yes. Will they take us?” Kihyun inquired.

Hoseok nodded. “They’re ready when we are.”

“Right,” Kihyun mumbled, looking around at the flat ground where their tents stood only an hour ago. There were several patients he wanted to peak in on again at the hospital, but it would likely offend the personnel there considering he checked a couple hours ago.

“Ki, you’ve done everything you could. They’ve got it handled now.”

“I know,” Kihyun replied.

“You always get like this anytime you treat someone off-ship and every time the feeling wears off after a couple days. You’ve got to leave their continued treatment in someone else’s hands.”

“I know,” Kihyun repeated, unable to stop the worry clawing at his chest. It was hard to walk away from patients that still needed care.

He sucked in a deep, steadying breath. He met Hoseok’s eyes. “Let’s go. I want to see Christmas lights before we’re off to Siren.”

Hoseok wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they headed to a ship in the far distance past the new settlement. “Merry Christmas, Kihyun.”

“That was two days ago,” Kihyun said.

“Not for us. Our Christmas is just starting. We traded our rations for some gin. We’ll do a proper toast on the ship and you can put your feet up and relax for the first time in a week. How does that sound?”

Kihyun exhaled blissfully. “Nice.”

A few steps later. “Gin? Of all the liquor? Gin?” Kihyun criticized.

“Beggars can’t be choosers, Ki,” Hoseok replied.

His mouth ticked up. “Merry Christmas, hyung.”

—————————————————————————————————

Hyunwoo leaned against the bar nursing a tumbler of whiskey. Many unoccupied stools lined the bar, but his legs were restless after a day of meetings and reviews. His last review ended early. Hyungwon and Changkyun weren’t set to meet him for another thirty minutes.

“Captain Son,” Bae Jinyoung greeted, sidling up to him at the bar.

Hyunwoo smiled into his glass of whiskey, not needing to turn his head to know who was standing far too close. “Lieutenant Bae. Happy Holidays,” he returned, taking another sip.

Knowing the interloper was waiting for his undivided attention and admiration, he finally turned his body to him, casually resting his arm on the bar. Jinyoung was a Lieutenant on the Cavalier as well as a fellow Section 31 officer. He also happened to be a regular in his sheets during the Academy.

Jinyoung dimpled at him. “Long time, no see, big guy.”

“How’s the Cavalier treating you?”

“Fine,” Jinyoung said dismissively. “I don’t suppose you’re up for a little mission?” he asked, cutting straight to the point.

That had his interest. “Depends.”

“On what?” Jinyoung asked.

“On how fast it can be completed,” Hyunwoo answered.

“That’s entirely up to you,” Jinyoung replied. “You see that man in the navy sweater over there?”

Hyunwoo gave a cursory glance. “Yes.”

“That’s my target. Unfortunately, it turns out he’s not so interested in the skinny, pretty ones. He has, in fact, been very interested in you over here at the bar though.” He gave Cheshire smile. “Can’t blame him there.”

Hyunwoo looked his old fuck buddy up and down, clad in skin-tight jeans and a breezy low-cut top. “I think you really misread your target there, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung grimaced. “Tell me about it. In my defense, men usually can’t refuse this.” He gestured to himself with a flourish. 

Hyunwoo took another sip. “I remember.”

“I’m so pleased,” Jinyoung flirted. “You haven’t lost your touch.”

Hyunwoo raised a brow at him. “And, how may I assist?”

“Distract him. I’ve been trying to implant a chip on his cell all night, but he’s just not interested. I’ve been friend zoned. It’s inside his front right pants pocket.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “Why should I help you? I was enjoying my solitude and, more importantly, not working.”

Jinyoung ran a black-painted finger along Hyunwoo’s sleeve. “He sells fake medicine to ailing nations. Pediatric medicine.”

“That is a worthy cause.” Hyunwoo watched the hand toying with his sleeve, the pads of Jinyoung's fingers sliding under his sweater and tickling the underside of his wrist. 

“And, tis the season of charity, Hyunwoo.” Jinyoung pressed his case.

Hyunwoo huffed, amused. “What does he think you’re doing talking to me right now?”

Jinyoung smiled slowly. “Ensuring a good night for the three of us.”

Hyunwoo tutted. “Shouldn’t have been so confident in my agreement. I have plans. You’ll have to call someone in to help,” Hyunwoo said.

“Oh, come on. Just distract him long enough so that I can slip the device out, bug it, and slip in back into his pocket. Better yet, I’ll give the chip to you and you can do it. I bet you can get this done in ten minutes flat.” He licked his lips. “Unless...you’d like to show us both a good time tonight?”

Hyunwoo inwardly rolled his eyes. Jinyoung would flirt with a rock if there were no warm bodies around. Not that the man wasn’t a good time.

Jinyoung watched Hyunwoo’s bored stare for a moment before giggling. “No? Just me perhaps?”

Hyunwoo chuckled despite himself. Jinyoung really hadn’t changed much. He glanced up at the clock. “Fine, I’ll help you. I’m out in thirty though. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Yes, Captain,” Jinyoung purred, taking his hand and leading him to the circular booth by the fireplace. Jinyoung pushed him inside with a hand at his back and followed until Hyunwoo was sandwiched in at either side by the two men.

Jinyoung immediately melted into his side and placed a hand on his chest, looking to the man on his other side. “Simon, this is Son Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo, Simon Firsop.”

“Pleasure.” Hyunwoo met the man’s eyes. He was attractive, with sharp features and legs for days. A little too much makeup on his face for his taste, but otherwise quite pretty. He briefly thought of Hyolyn, another pretty face that disguised a sickness underneath. So much deception and darkness under an alluring veneer.

Simon looked back at him with hunger and Hyunwoo returned the look. He could do this in his sleep by now. 

“Hello,” Simon replied in a sultry, deep voice. He took Hyunwoo’s hand in greeting and kept it there.

Hyunwoo looked at Simon’s cocktail, mostly ice left. “I suppose we should get you another drink,” he offered, running his thumb over the pulse point of the chilled hand.

Simon bit his lip and nodded.

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun quickly showered and primped back aboard the Newton, luxuriating in the use of his products instead of the standard 3 in 1 ‘soap’ he used the past week. The volunteers and himself spent most of the time on the transport catching up on much needed sleep and playing cards. By the time they were dropped off three days later, they were champing at the bit to be unleashed on Earth. Their restless energy was almost suffocating the last several hours. They eagerly made plans to celebrate at The Underground Federation, a time-honored Starfleet stomping ground. 

It was a bit of a pity. They’d have less than twenty-four hours on Earth before the Newton departed, but Kihyun wouldn’t have done anything differently. Some of the volunteers were meeting family tonight, but for half of them, their families were too far away. He’d live it up tonight with those stranded souls. Maybe even use his tipsiness as an excuse to knock on Hyunwoo’s door later tonight. Their talk was long overdue.

He’d been to The Underground Federation once before and knew it was a place where one dressed to impress. He loved dressing up and idly wondered when he’d have a reason to wear most of the clothes in his closet again. Half his wardrobe blanketed the floor before he made a decision. He skillfully tugged on shiny black pants, heeled ankle boots, and a silvery blouse that showed off his clavicles and turned sheer under certain lighting. He applied a red stain and finished his eyes with a slate smokey liner. It took all his strength to force his phone into the tight back pocket of his pants as he half jogged down the deck and met up with the others in the mess hall.

He looked at the gathering. “Am I the last one?” he asked, knowing full well he was.

Hoseok gave him a disbelieving look. “Um. Yeah,” he informed him.

“It’s not like we’ve been waiting for twenty-three minutes or anything,” Dr. Nelson said with good humor.

“Sorry,” Kihyun apologized. “We said an hour. It’s been an hour.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hoseok said, brushing him off. “As much as I love this ship, let’s get the hell off her.”

The group beamed down to the square and headed towards the popular, elite pub. Kihyun and Hoseok linked arms in the middle of the group. He memorized the twinkling Christmas lights and the pine garlands adorning the poles and buildings, wished he’d had the foresight to bring his new camera. 

“It feels so good to be back,” Kihyun confessed. Though he considered the ship is home, he’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t miss his home planet. Three plus years was a long time. “I’m not going to close my eyes until it’s time to go.”

Hoseok took a deep breath in through his nose, smelling the fresh, frigid air. “Same.” He smiled softly. “I was thinking Waffle Palace after we’re too shit-faced to continue?” Hoseok inquired to Kihyun and the group around them.

“Oh, God, yes,” Kihyun moaned. “Oh! And, we can grab a few pies from Antonio's and save them for our first dinner of the Siren voyage.”

“I like the way you think,” Hoseok replied, the chill urging them to hasten their steps.

The group made their way inside the tavern, murmuring excitably amidst the cacophony of the dimmed bar. The old-fashioned lighting cast a warm yellow glow as opposed to the bright white on the ship and in most buildings nowadays. Kihyun smiled, boots clicking satisfactorily as he stepped into the main bar area and looked around. It was polished and nice, but used: scuffs on the hardwood floor, scratches on the bar, paint peeled from the walls by some of the booths. It gave the impression it’d stood there for centuries and would stay for centuries to come.

It was likely most everyone inside was Starfleet personnel, but one couldn’t tell; wearing a uniform inside the Underground Federation was a sure sign that you were a newb. Like that poor soul over there. He cringed in sympathy. 

It was at times like this Kihyun felt regret at the ungodly amount of time he spent studying at the Academy. If it weren’t for Minhyuk manhandling him out the dorm every few weekends, he probably never would have left the lab or his desk. He missed out on so much while fighting to keep his scholarship. This was only his second time inside the establishment. He wouldn’t get another opportunity for a long time.

It was time to make some memories then, he decided, scanning the crowd for open tables. They’d need a few. 

His smile fell.

“Fuck,” Hoseok whispered beside Kihyun, recognizing Agent Bae and the scene before them for exactly what it was and knowing Kihyun was seeing it for exactly how it looked.

Kihyun swallowed, his mouth dry. Inside the booth closest to the hearth, Hyunwoo was with two men. Two men he was very interested in, it seemed. One adorable man was draped over his back as Hyunwoo murmured something into the other’s ear. He was long and willowy like a supermodel and his dark lips stretched wide on a seductive smile. Hyunwoo’s hands roamed up and down the beautiful man’s sides and down his freakishly long legs, which were hooked over Hyunwoo’s knee.

“Right...,” Kihyun uttered numbly.

Hoseok closed his eyes. He thought it was quite possible that Kihyun had the worst luck of anyone he ever met. The doctor startled him by turning around and facing the group with a forced, bright smile.

“First round’s on me!” he called, making his way to the bar as the crew hooted behind him.

Kihyun’s voice somehow registered in Hyunwoo’s ear over the racket of the room because he looked up briefly and met Hoseok’s eyes before traveling to Kihyun at the bar. Hyunwoo glanced back at Hoseok as he continued to hold the target and talk into his ear, his fingers tickling at the long neck and making the man squirm.

Hoseok could only look back at him helplessly. Hyunwoo was fucked. There was nothing he could do about it. Hyunwoo, the professional he was, returned his attention to whatever mission he was playing out with Bae Jinyoung, their target essentially putty in Hyunwoo’s hands.

Hoseok turned and joined the others at the bar, where the bartender was lining up twenty-one shots down the dark, lacquered wood. Kihyun handed him one with a hard smile that warned him to say nothing. When everyone had a shot glass, Kihyun lifted his up to the others.

“To Yerrit!” he cheered.

“To Yerrit!” they shouted, easily the loudest group in the establishment, tossing them back and scrambling to give their own orders for drinks to the overwhelmed bartenders.

Hoseok watched Kihyun closely over the next ten minutes. To anyone watching, Kihyun was having the time of his life, throwing himself into the good cheer of the crew. However, Hoseok knew better. Kihyun didn’t once turn his eyes anywhere other than their little cohort and he was drinking far too fast for Kihyun. Even his own department recognized that.

“Hey! Let’s go somewhere else, where we can dance and actually score with someone tonight,” Hoseok said to the group.

“Don’t be silly,” Kihyun said, looking at him with hardened eyes. “Seems like one can get pretty luck here.”

Yeah, Hyunwoo was fucked, Hoseok thought.

The rest of the group didn’t seem so keen on the idea either, having only just received their drinks.

Hoseok turned around and found the booth empty and Hyunwoo headed toward him. Hoseok met him halfway.

“I take it-,” Hyunwoo started.

“Yep,” Hoseok finished for him. He looked at his friend sympathetically. “Look, don’t let this ruin your last night on Earth. You’ll have three years to grovel. You couldn’t have known Ki would show up.”

Hyunwoo looked past Hoseok’s shoulder to the bar. “Maybe I should-”

“Noooo,” Hoseok said emphatically. “Leave it. If you approach him now, your dick will fall off from frostbite. I promise you. Besides, what can you say to make it better? Your hands are tied.”

Hyungwon and Changkyun joined them with reddened ears and noses from the cold. 

Changkyun grinned at Hoseok. “You’re back.”

“And you brought the Care Bears,” Hyungwon droned, finding Kihyun and his department at the bar.

Changkyun hit Hyungwon upside the head. “Don’t be an ass.”

Hyungwon smiled and left them to greet Kihyun with two shots he took off a passing tray. “Put it on my tab,” he called after the waitress.

“I honestly can’t tell if they’re enemies or friends,” Changkyun muttered. “Shall we get our table out back? Care to join us, Hoseok?”

Hoseok glanced back at the bar. “I’m gonna stick with my crew tonight, but I’ll pop by in a while.” He clapped a hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder and squeezed. “Make sure this one doesn’t beat himself up too much tonight, will you?”

Changkyun looked at them curiously. 

Hyunwoo frowned as he watched Kihyun’s back at the bar, as completely turned away from his existence as he possibly could be. He looked at Changkyun and offered a grim smile. “Yeah. Let’s get our table.”

They made their way back to their usual spot, the outside seating currently enclosed in a warming force-field this time of the year. It smelled like firewood and crisp pine. Changkyun took a seat, mindlessly flipping through the menu out of habit. “Just get a pitcher and the sampler for now?”

Hyunwoo watched couples walk by on the street beyond the deck. “Hmm? Oh, yes,” he said.

Hyungwon found them, already holding a pitcher of beer in one hand and three empty glasses against his chest with his other arm. He set them down on the table. 

“Man,” Hyungwon said with wide eyes, sitting down and dispersing the glasses. “Kihyun’s acting a little deranged. It’s scary as fuck, but gotta say, I also kinda like it? I mean, if there’s one person on this world that needs to let loose, it’s that uptight harpy.”

Changkyun looked to Hyunwoo with that assessing stare he used in his office. “What’s going on?”

Hyunwoo slumped down in his chair and rubbed his temple. “I was helping Bae Jinyoung with something and Kihyun walked in.”

Hyungwon winced. “I take it you weren’t helping him reach his coat off the rack?”

“More like helping myself to an attractive criminal.”

“Way to end your vacation on a high note.” Hyungwon poured Hyunwoo’s glass to the brim.

Changkyun clucked his tongue in pity, handing his glass to Hyungwon to fill. “Poor Kihyun.”

“Poor Hyunwoo,” Hyungwon corrected. He poured the beer into Changkyun’s glass. “How the fuck you going to get laid the next few years in the middle of nowhere galaxy?”

Changkyun glared at Hyungwon then met Hyunwoo’s eyes. “Hey. Hoseok’s right. Don’t beat yourself up over it. He’s hurt, but he legitimately likes you. This won’t make him unlike you. Give it some time.”

Hyunwoo sat back up and shook his head, looking at Changkyun. “I gave him every indication I was interested and the first time he sees me in a week, I have two men on me.”

“It’s a setback, I’ll admit, but it’s not over,” Changkyun encouraged.

Hyungwon remained silent. Nothing was ever quite that easy.

“Maybe I was getting ahead of myself trying to start something with him. We all know this is part of the gig. I didn’t want to see it. It’s finally occurred to me all the secrets I’d have to keep from him. All the lies I already have on top of the all lying in the future. He already tiptoes around Hyolyn’s name like it causes me agony and, of course, I can’t correct him.”

They all fell quiet and nursed their beers. There wasn’t anything to really say to that. It was the hard truth.

“It might be better this way. Imagine how he’d feel if we’d been together for a year and then walking in on that.”

Changkyun ordered and gave the menu to the waiter. He looked at Hyunwoo. “The chances that you’ll be called upon to use your powers of seduction over the next three years are slim to none. We’re not exactly going to be around a hotbed of civilization. In fact, any 31 activity will probably be zilch in the coming years. If there was ever a ‘safe’ time to start something with him, it’s now.”

Hyungwon tilted his head in judgement. “You are way too optimistic Im. You’re almost as bad as Jooheon. You know Kihyun better than I do, you really think the pipsqueak is going to welcome him back with open arms?”

“Well, he’ll need to blow off some steam, but Kihyun is a sweetheart,” Changkyun said. “Temperamental, but a sweetheart.”

“Exactly. He’s an annoying sweetheart, and sweethearts don’t shack up with two-timing bastards.” Hyungwon glanced at Hyunwoo. “No offense.”

Hyunwoo didn’t have anything to say.

Hyungwon slumped, seeing Hyunwoo completely unresponsive. “Wow. This is a total buzz kill,” he stated, downing his glass. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. 

Hyunwoo sighed. “You’re right. I’ve been reduced to a brooding asshole. I hate brooding assholes. I’m heading back. Tonight can’t be salvaged. There’s no reason for you two to go down with me.”

He finished his mug and stood. “‘Night. See you tomorrow, bright and early.” He tossed Hyungwon his card. “Put it on my tab tonight.”

They gave him pitying looks. “Goodnight,” they said.

Hyunwoo nodded and walked back into the bar. He took his coat from the rack and shrugged it on, spotting Kihyun coming out of the restroom down the hall and straight towards him.

Great.

He looked like an avenging angel, beautiful, but with a sharpness in his stare that didn’t belong there. 

Kihyun stopped in front of him with a grin bordering maniacal. “What happened to Daddy Long Legs? Strike out? Looked like you had it in the bag.”

Hyunwoo watched Kihyun put a hand on the brick wall, giving away just how much he’d had to drink already.

“Kihyun, I’m sorry. Jinyoung is an old friend and I let things get out of hand.”

Kihyun appeared to find that funny.

“I beg to differ. You had quite a lot in your hands from where I was standing,” Kihyun returned.

Kihyun looked at the ground, brow furrowing. “You made me think-.” Kihyun stopped himself and laughed instead, looking back up at him.

“You must think I’m so stupid.” He carelessly threw a hand up in the air. “Maybe I am.”

“I don’t think that,” Hyunwoo said.

The front door kept opening and closing from the patrons.

“Do you know what I think?” Kihyun asked, hugging himself from the chill. 

Hyunwoo hated seeing him like this. He looked all wrong, attempting a mean demeanor. Kihyun didn’t know how to be deliberatively mean. “What?”

“I think I’m not good enough for you out here, where you can dip your pen anywhere you want. But, out in the vast Siren galaxy? It’s slim pickings, or so I hear. Were you going to settle for me? Better than nothing after all.”

“That’s not true,” Hyunwoo stated.

“It makes sense though. It’s not like a Captain can be fucking his entire crew for three years. Think of the red tape there. You only start to woo me a week before leaving on this expedition? Hell, maybe you didn’t even realize I was a viable option until I had to play your whore a few days ago.”

“Kihyun, you are so off base right now. You’re not even making sense,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun nodded self-depreciatingly. “Ah, that’s right: ‘hairbrained’, ‘not so quick on the uptake.’ I guess you have me pegged.” His eyes turned hard. “But, I’d gladly go another three years without being fucked before I let you touch me again.”

Kihyun managed a strained smiled. “I’m glad we got to clear the air before we leave tomorrow.”

Kihyun stepped away, placing his hands on his hips. “If you’re looking for someone to warm your bed on the long journey ahead, might I suggest Lieutenant Shorrid or Ensign Ravensberg? They’re real hot for Captain. Why, I heard-”

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo snapped. Kihyun was a Chief Officer, he shouldn’t be badmouthing any crew on the ship, drunk or not. It was inexcusable.

Kihyun forced an overly serious look on his face. “Captain,” he mocked sternly.

Hyunwoo licked his lips. “I understand this is an unusual situation, but you _will_ remember yourself.”

Kihyun giggled and leaned his back against the brick wall. It snagged the thin material of his shirt. “Did you remember yourself when you bent me over the railing last week?”

A gentleman retrieving his coat gave them a strange look.

Hyunwoo nodded to him and came closer to Kihyun.

He lowered his voice. “What are you talking about? That was mutual. We did it because we liked it.”

Kihyun closed his eyes. “Yeah, I liked it. Just about screamed for it, didn’t I?”

Kihyun opened his eyes and Hyunwoo felt gutted at the wetness in them, his throat constricting.

Kihyun’s voice came out softly. “You’re so right. I forgot myself. Like I said, I don’t do those things with just anybody and I did it, anyway. I should’ve known better.”

Kihyun pushed him out of the way and started back to the bar.

“Kihyun!” Hyunwoo called after him, watching him turn the corner. 

Hyunwoo dropped his head against the brick. That went about as badly as he expected. He clenched his fist and pressed it into the wall with all the strength he wanted to punch it with. The grain from the brick imprinted into skin. He desperately wanted to go after Kihyun, but Hoseok was right; tonight was a poor time to approach him, especially when Kihyun was drunk and reckless. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath before turning and stalking out of the tavern.

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun woke and ran to the toilet, puking his guts up. A moment later, Minhyuk padded in after him with a glass of water and a couple pills.

He coughed into the bowl and flushed it down, using a toilet paper square to pat at his mouth.

He looked up at Minhyuk blearily. “Min?”

“Yes. I’m here.” He plopped down onto tile next to Kihyun and handed him the glass.

Kihyun took it, drinking it halfway down. “Min,” he said, looking at the ground.

“I know. Hoseok called and filled me in while I was on the train. I’m so sorry,” Minhyuk said.

“Were you here all night? What time is it?”

“It’s 3:30 a.m.. I got here around eleven. You didn’t make it very long before Hoseok had to carry you back around ten last night. Word has it you drank so fast you put me to shame.”

“I’m so embarrassed. My department saw me like that.” He pouted and curled over, his forehead touching the cool tile.

“You mean they saw you act like an actual human being with faults for once,” Minhyuk comforted. “You were bound to slip up sometime. At least you did it in extreme fanfare.”

Kihyun groaned. “What do you mean?” he asked, not sure he wanted the answer. After his confrontation with Hyunwoo, things got a little fuzzy. He definitely didn’t remember Hoseok carrying him back.

“You kissed Hyungwon, for starters.”

Kihyun whipped back up. “I most certainly did not!” he declared, before wincing and holding his head still.

“You’re right. You’re too short. You kind of sloppily kissed his neck then stumbled and hit your tooth on his bony shoulder. Cherop had a video. Don’t worry, it’s deleted.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Hell if I know what was going on in that brain last night. You also danced. Got a lot of people to join in for a bar without a dance floor or good music, for that matter.”

“You were also very vocal about Neanderthals and how much you hate them. What did our ancestors ever do to you?”

“Oh, my god,” Kihyun said weakly.

“Cherop also had a video of that. That one's not getting deleted. It’s precious.”

“Please tell me that’s it.”

“That’s it,” Minhyuk said.

Kihyun looked at him. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“A bit,” Minhyuk conceded.

“I think I hate him,” Kihyun said.

“No, you don’t,” Minhyuk replied. “Quite the opposite, I think.”

“Why did he-?”

“I don’t know, honey. He was being stupid? People make the dumbest mistakes sometimes. Even the ones we really admire,” Minhyuk said. 

Minhyun pointed to himself. “Case in point, Exhibit A. I do all kinds of dumb shit, even mean shit, but you still love me.”

“You don’t do mean shit,” Kihyun mumbled.

Minhyuk grinned, not missing how Kihyun didn’t include the dumb shit. “Sure I do. How many times have I left you stranded at a bar or club because I followed my dick out the door with somebody or canceled on you to have a bit of fun?” Minhyuk said.

“This is different,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk sighed, leaning back into the cabinet below the sink. “I suppose it is a little different.”

“We weren’t together. Am I wrong?”

“No! Be as pissed as you want to be. We all saw where this was heading and you were blindsided. I think I might be more angry than you. I pushed you towards him.”

Kihyun scrambled to his knees and retched into the toilet bowl again. His arms shook as he dry heaved.

“Why don’t we go down to sick bay? It will be a hell of a lot more effective than these aspirin.”

Kihyun’s voice was hoarse. “So the first sickbay log of the Siren expedition is the Chief Medical Officer for a hangover? Pass.”

“Alright. Then, here.” Minhyuk opened his palm and Kihyun took the pills from his hand.

“I can’t take them. I have to throw up still.”

“Is now a good time to tell you about all the goodies I got us? Grey Goose, Patrón, Crown Royal, Maker’s Mark, Tanqueray, Bollinger, Cristal. Weren’t we going to make bellinis in the morning to toast the expedition? Or would you prefer Mimosas? Ooh, it's not too late to have Waffle Palace. Some sausage, eggs and pecan waffles, how does that sound?”

Kihyun violently shook his head and puked for the third time. Minhyuk’s hand rubbed his back in empathy. Kihyun flushed again and sat back.

“Better?”

Kihyun nodded, taking the pills with trembling fingers and chasing them down with the rest of the water.

“Here.” Minhyuk closed the toilet seat and helped Kihyun sit on it. He ran a washcloth under hot water and cleaned the makeup from his face. “I think we can get away with a half-assed job tonight, don’t you?” He tossed the cloth on the counter.

“Too queasy to brush your teeth? Want to just swish and spit?”

Kihyun grunted and stood up, filling the glass again.

“I’m sorry,” Kihyun said after spitting and drinking more water.

“Hey. How many times have you taken care of me? You’d have to do this for a year straight for us to be even.”

“But it’s your last night. You should be out with everyone else. I’m better. You should go.”

“Ki, I spent the last week partying while your latexed hands were in chest cavities and squishy organs. I could use the respite. I’m exhausted.”

“Bed?” Kihyun asked.

Minhyuk nodded. “Bed. Take your pants off. I don’t know how you can breathe in those.”

Going back into the bedroom, Kihyun saw that Minhyuk had indeed been here next to him, the pillow indented and his jeans thrown on the corner of the bed.

“I love you, Min.” Kihyun shimmied his pants off, losing his balance a couple times trying to get his legs out, and swept the blouse over his head before crawling under the covers. He wished he didn’t feel so ill so that he could appreciate the comfort of his bed after a week on cots and hardened bunks. The room spun when his head rested on the pillow. He shut his eyes to stop it.

Minhyuk joined him. “Love you, too.”

“Min?”

“Yes?”

“Who will you sleep with on this expedition?”

Minhyuk turn onto his side to face him. “I think I’ll start with Hoseok’s division.”

“Oh, my god.”

—-

At ten the next morning, there was a brief broadcasted ceremony for the Newton’s expedition. The Siren galaxy had been reached before, but just barely, and certainly not explored. It was exciting, and the world and planets of the Federation were interested.

Each Chief Officer had their moment at the podium where they talked to the crew and cameras about their hopes and goals on the expedition and answered questions from reporters.

Hyungwon, in particular, received immense spotlight, not only today, but in the days leading up to this. Articles highlighting the pilot, his mysterious past, model looks and flawless record. His unexpected stardom was kind of amusing, especially with how the crew teased him over it.

What little was known of the Siren galaxy was its less than accommodable ‘terrain.’ It was an expedition that required an accomplished pilot. The fact that Hyungwon was so young rubbed some of the more seasoned Starfleet officials the wrong way. However, the Federation poured a lot of money into this adventure and the decision makers trusted Lieutenant Chae’s statistics. Kihyun would never say it out loud, but he wouldn’t want anyone else flying them into that mess.

Hyunwoo both started and ended the conference with charm and intellect, inspiring excitement from the crew and those watching. Kihyun, as usual, was impressed by Captain Son Hyunwoo, always calm and cool with just the right amount of cheek and humor. Regardless of any inner turmoil, Kihyun was proud to be a part of the U.S.S. Newton, under the command of Captain Son and about to embark of the most exciting period of his life. His smile this morning was not fake, and it mirrored the crew’s.

Once finished, they stood at the front of the stage for pictures.

For better or worse, this was home, the people on this stage, his family. Well, perhaps not Hyunwoo. And, if Hyungwon made fun of him for that kiss one more time, he’d be down another member rather quickly. Kihyun side-eyed Hyungwon, so stupidly tall at his left. Hyungwon caught him, pursing his lips in a quick, mocking kiss, complete with smooching sound. Kihyun’s fingers caught the thin skin at his wrist and pinched it between his fingernails cruelly. 

Hyungwon jerked away and rubbed his wrist.

“Children,” Hyunwoo warned through a pleasant smile, the cameras still flashing.

Kihyun straightened and smiled for the cameras, how he got caught standing between the two tallest was beyond him. The lights were almost blinding and he worked to keep his eyes open and relaxed. Through the light show, he spotted a man towards the back that drew his attention, perhaps because the gentleman was looking right at him. His eyes narrowed trying to view him better, and he unconsciously took a step forward. The man stood up, making his way out of the aisle. 

“Kihyun?” a voice called from behind him.

Kihyun blindly took another couple steps forward, eyes following the retreating figure, and suddenly there were arms coming around his middle as his foot stepped off the ledge. He gasped as the solid arms pulled him back away from the edge roughly.

“What the hell, Kihyun?” Hyunwoo whispered fiercely as he turned the man around and gripped his upper arms. He looked and sounded angry.

Kihyun dumbly looked away from him out to the crowd again, unable to find the man. His heart stuttered into overdrive and he remembered. He remembered the office, his voice, his face and the reason he felt the niggling at the back of his mind when they met. A chill went down his body. He turned back around to Hyungwon. “It’s you,” he said.

Hyungwon’s eyes widened, taken back by the nonsensical statement.

Minhyuk stepped forward and pulled Kihyun from Hyunwoo’s grip none to gently, guiding him away from the lights and off the stage. Kihyun kept looking back at Hyungwon, who stared back at him in confusion.

“You okay, babe? What was that?” Minhyuk questioned, running his hands down the sides of Kihyun’s face and down his arms. “You’re awfully pale. Are you unwell? Are you sick again?”

Kihyun looked onto the stage, where the moderator was quickly wrapping up at Hyunwoo’s behest. “That man,” Kihyun said.

Minhyuk looked with him. “Hyungwon? What about him?” 

“Yes. I mean, no.” Kihyun shook his head. “I remember him. He’s out there.”

Minhyuk’s eyes narrowed. “Babe, you’re scaring me. That’s Hyungwon. You know him.”

Hyunwoo and the rest strode over to them, the ceremony closed.

“Dr. Yoo, what the hell happened out there?” Hyunwoo asked.

“The man that took me. He’s out there.” Kihyun stared at Hyungwon.

“Flynn?” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun shook his head.

“The leader?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun nodded, eyes still fixed on Hyungwon.

“What the fuck, Yoo?” Hyungwon said, eyes concerned.

Hoseok stood in front of Kihyun, demanding his attention. “Where was he? What was he wearing?”

Kihyun pulled his eyes away from Hyungwon to Hoseok’s. “Um, about two-thirds the way in on the third row from the back. Black coat, black shirt.” He lifted a shoulder. “Nice quality? I don’t know. He was far away and the lights were too bright.”

Hoseok assessed him, but hit his commbadge asking for his team to look for a man fitting Kihyun’s description on the premises.

Hoseok sighed, giving Kihyun almost pitiful eyes. “Ki, are you sure it was him? You had a lot to drink last night. When we questioned you months ago, you couldn’t give a proper description beyond his hair and approximate age. A lot of people could fit that bill.”

Kihyun frowned. “I...” He shook his head. “No, it was definitely him.”

“Okay.” Hoseok nodded to Hyunwoo and left the stage, presumably to set up a search.

“He looks like you,” Kihyun said faintly, looking at Hyungwon.

That struck a chord. Hyungwon came forward and took Kihyun by the shoulders, bringing his face down to Kihyun’s level. “Like me. What do you mean?”

“Nose, mouth, the slant of your eyes. I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection back then.”

Hyungwon seemed to digest this information desperately and pushed away from him, stalking off after Hoseok.

Hyunwoo looked at them. “All of you get back to the ship. There’s still a lot to be done. Dr. Im, take control of preparations. We’re still leaving on schedule. I expect all checklists to be signed off by department heads no later than 13:00. We’re Siren bound. The Newton is not in a position to be the leads in this case anymore.”

Changkyun nodded. “Yes, Captain.” He put a hand at Minhyuk’s and Jooheon’s backs and ushered them forward.

Kihyun turned back to Hyunwoo.

“Go on,” Hyunwoo said. 

Kihyun nodded and fell in line beside Jooheon.

Hyunwoo watched them leave down the hall and turned to join Hoseok. So much for a smooth departure.

—-

The War Room - 12:15

Hyunwoo strode in with a mug of coffee. “Good. You’re all here,” he stated, taking his seat at the center.

Changkyun, Hoseok and Hyungwon sat at their usual chairs.

“Officially, Starfleet Case K927M633 is now under Lieutenant Hilton’s charge from Star Base 1. All of our open cases were transferred to other divisions. As far as Starfleet and the Federation are concerned, our sole purpose is the exploration of the Siren Galaxy.”

Hyunwoo met each of their eyes. “Unofficially, we, as an agency of Section 31, will continue to do what we can from our expedition regarding Kihyun’s case.”

“But, this is the first lead we’ve had since it went cold,” Hyungwon said.

“It is no longer our case, Hyungwon,” Hyunwoo repeated. “Starfleet believes the best course of action is for the Newton to leave. Given the way they view the evidence, Kihyun is a target, and the Newton is the safest place for Kihyun to be. We’re not exactly sitting ducks moving at warp speeds across the galaxy. We, in this room, don’t believe Kihyun to be in danger from them. It wasn’t that long ago they had a chance to do him harm again and let him be. But, it’s not our call to make.”

Hyunwoo glanced at Hyungwon. “I realize this case became more complicated today, and it certainly couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune time.”

He took a sip from his mug and set it down, firing up the holoscreen. “So, what can you tell me given the limited time we had to investigate this morning?”

“There has been no sighting of the individual Kihyun described. Additionally, as the cameras were all focused on the stage, we haven’t found any photos yet of the crowd, certainly not any that high up. CCTV cameras have nothing either,” Hoseok said. 

Hyungwon rolled his chair closer the table. “I’ve gone over traffic logs leaving any bases or ports. No unscheduled ships or transporters have made departures or arrivals. However, given that they’re criminals, I doubt they’d have used standard docks or that their ship is even registered.”

Hoseok crossed his arms. “I love Kihyun to pieces and I am still dead set on finding the men who put Kihyun through that ordeal last year, but I don’t entirely trust that Kihyun saw what he saw. I believe he thinks he saw something, but...Ki even said the lights were bright and he was too far away.”

Changkyun went to the side table to make a cup of tea. Meetings were always informal when it was just the four of them. He ripped open a bag of oolong and poured the steaming water over it. He turned to face them. “Kihyun was spectacularly sloshed last night, to an extent I’ve never seen before, and I’ve seen him plastered. His metabolism processes things like alcohol and medicine a little differently. A little goes a long way, and he passed Go several times last night. He was trembling at breakfast this morning. That being said, he was able to pull himself together before the ceremony and did appear in complete control of his faculties.”

Hoseok gave a Changkyun a look. “You can’t be serious. He stumbled forward on the stage as if in a trance. Could have broken his neck if Hyunwoo hadn’t pulled him back. You call that being in control of his faculties?”

“I’m looking at it from every angle,” Changkyun explained, unaffected. “Could he have seen the man? Maybe. Could it have been a mistake? Maybe.”

“He saw something, someone. He remembered,” Hyungwon said adamantly.

Changkyun looked at him sympathetically. “Hyungwon, this case has become very personal for you because of what Kihyun said. You need to look at the facts objectively.”

“This is ridiculous. Why would Kihyun say the man looked like me? Who would even think to say that unless it was true?” Hyungwon countered. “He was standing on stage and spotted the man and it clicked into place. It happens.”

Hoseok looked heavenward. “It doesn’t. The man who had Kihyun kidnapped decides to stand in front of him in same room? In a room full of Starfleet personnel? Why?”

Hyungwon licked his lips. “Yoo said the man looked like me.” He turned to Changkyun. “You heard him.”

Changkyun looked to Hyungwon. “I’m not saying it’s not possible, but you also need to understand where I’m coming from. I’ve treated him since he’s come back from that place. I cannot and will not divulge my reasons for second guessing him, but suffice to say, he has not achieved closure. How can he with his multitude of abductors out and about? It wasn’t that long ago he came face to face with them again. It is not unusual for people in Kihyun’s situation to superimpose ideas of closure into their lives. Today was the start of a new chapter in his life. He may have subconsciously seen an opportunity to end that event in his life that has caused him so much turmoil.”

Hyungwon huffed a disbelieving laugh. “By superimposing my features onto someone in the crowd? How does that make sense?”

Hyunwoo rested his arms on the table and clasped his fingers together around the mug. “Hyungwon, I know how long you’ve waited for a lead to your past and we will look into this. Exhaustively. I promise you.”

Hyungwon sighed in frustration. “How can we look into it when we’re an hour away from putting as much distance between this man and us?”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes and ran a hand over his mouth. Hyungwon didn’t often get emotional, but he was upset. He understood, but... “Hyungwon, you made a commitment to this ship.”

“And I’ve no intention of breaking it, but I think I’m allowed to feel cheated right now,” Hyungwon said fiercely.

The lanky pilot glared at Hoseok and Changkyun. “Is it too much to ask you don’t treat this like Kihyun’s lost his damn mind or dismiss it by explaining away the statistical improbability that Kihyun saw his abductor and quite possibly a link to my past?”

“It’s not,” Changkyun apologized.

“It’s not,” Hoseok echoed.

Hyungwon leaned forward against the table. “In fact, if that man is somehow connected to me, Kihyun’s specific abduction over thousands of other doctors makes a lot more sense.”

“You’re hypothesizing that this mystery man has been keeping tabs on you?” Hoseok guessed.

“Why not?” Hyungwon responded.

Hoseok nearly laughed. “What is this, Chae? You playing out some Oliver Twist fantasy here?”

This was going south fast. Hyunwoo could see Hyungwon was about to unleash on Hoseok. “Hyungwon, I know this is difficult and, yes, we are about to put as much distance between the man Kihyun saw and this ship at approximately 9.8 warp speed and that I’m asking you to do it. However, we have the best witness living on this ship. A witness who suddenly remembers things more clearly than ever before and who, despite overt behavior, loves you dearly, as we all do.” He stared Hoseok down in reproach. “In the coming days, we will bring him in here and do everything we can to find the answers for both you and Kihyun.”

“How will we explain our involvement in a case that is no longer ours?” Hoseok asked.

“We’ll give him a half-truth. Yes, the case is no longer ours, but it affects two members of our crew and we are working it off the books,” Hyunwoo explained. “If you hadn’t noticed, Kihyun doesn’t necessarily have a problem breaking the rules. Now, I do have other things on the agenda, but there just isn’t time today. It’ll have to be pushed to later in the week. We have an expedition to launch.”

Hyunwoo stood up. “For now, the man, whether a figment or corporeal, has escaped detection. A specialty of theirs, it seems. I will be in contact with Lieutenant Hilton throughout the week asking for updates and he has promised me complete transparency with anything they find. Until then, let’s report to our stations.”

The four exited the room and the stifling atmosphere of a moment before disappeared like a tuft of smoke. There was a reason these few individuals were agents of Section 31. They could turn it on and off at will.

“Changkyun, I would ask you have a session with Kihyun within the next twenty-four hours,” Hyunwoo said.

“Yes, Sir,” Changkyun answered.

“And, Hyungwon,” Hyunwoo added.

“Yes, Sir,” Changkyun replied again.

“Captain,” Hyungwon argued.

“That’s an order,” Hyunwoo responded. “Man, I’m getting tired of saying that,” he added wearily.

“Deck 4,” Hyunwoo commanded the turbolift.

“I thought you were bridge bound?” Hoseok questioned.

“I’ve been red flagged by Medical as of twenty minutes ago,” Hyunwoo muttered.

“Ooooh. Someone’s in trouble,” Hoseok said in true sixth-grade fashion.

“What in the world do you have to do to get red-flagged by Medical?” Hyungwon wondered in awe.

“According to my file, cancel four physicals,” Hyunwoo muttered.

Hoseok laughed. “You still haven’t done that?”

Hyunwoo shrugged. “I was busy. Then, medical was busy with Yerrit. Then, I was busy.”

“Sounds like a pile of excuses to me,” Hoseok returned.

Hyunwoo brushed it off. “Anyhow, being flagged my Medical prevents me from doing just about anything, such as commanding my ship to go. So, if I want us to leave sometime today, I have to go face Kihyun.”

“Probably did it out of spite,” Hyunwoo muttered under his breath.

“Actually, three cancelations is the standard for being flagged,” Changkyun stated. “It start’s to look suspicious, don’t you think? Anyway, this is good. You two need to talk.”

Hyungwon banged his head against the wall. “You think everything can be fixed by talking.”

“It can,” Changkyun said, “when both parties are honest and open to listening, and when-”

“Oh, my god, shut him up,” Hyungwon groaned.

Hoseok smiled gleefully, but clapped a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder in solidarity. 

“If you’d like, I could facilitate a meeting between you two. It’s not beneficial to have negativity underlying every exchange; you work together,” Changkyun offered.

“The day I can’t remain professional due to personal hangups is the day I tender my resignation,” Hyunwoo informed.

Hyunwoo stepped off the lift. “Time to meet my maker.”

“Grovel,” Hoseok advised as the door closed again.

“Captain on deck,” a technician announced at his arrival.

The side wall of sickbay had been transformed into a waiting room. Ten or so chagrinned crew members sat around and lowered their eyes when Hyunwoo approached.

“Flagged?” Hyunwoo inquired, joining them.

One glanced up. “Yes, Captain.”

Dr. Yoo came out of Exam Room 4 with a young man, wishing him a good day. He saw Hyunwoo, but checked his tablet. “Ensign Reardon,” he called.

The ensign’s eyes bugged. “Uh, I’ll give my slot to Captain Son. I’m sure he has a lot to do.”

Kihyun’s brow rose, unamused. “Ensign Reardon, you’re up. You’ve all abused our schedule, we’re only returning the favor. I’m sure the captain doesn’t mind waiting.”

Hyunwoo gestured Reardon forward, taking his seat. The others waiting clearly surprised at the exchange as they gave each other ‘oh, shit’ faces.

Reardon and Kihyun disappeared into Room 4. Two of the other crew were called back by other physicians over the next twenty minutes. Hyunwoo thought he might get away with not having to see Kihyun at all if all the rooms were being used. He almost hoped he would get away with it, though it wasn’t likely. Dr. Yoo was always his physician.

Five minutes later, Reardon exited. Hyunwoo didn’t miss the way the ensign stood a little too close to Kihyun as he input data into the tablet. Hyunwoo was guilty of that many times himself. When Kihyun looked up, he took a step back in surprise at his proximity. “Everything’s set, Ensign. The course will dispense with your morning and evening meals. If, for whatever reason, you skip breakfast or dinner, swing by and we can administer directly.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” 

Kihyun bid him goodbye and finished signing the report. He raised his head and met Hyunwoo’s stare. “Captain.”

Hyunwoo stood and followed him into the room. “How are you feeling?” he asked after the door sealed shut behind them.

“You’re the patient, Captain. Not me,” Kihyun answered.

He didn’t sound like he was in a particularly chatty mood.

“Nonetheless, you’ve had a harrowing morning,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun softly sighed, almost undetectable. “I’m fine.”

He walked to a platform and motioned Hyunwoo over. This was hardly his first physical, he knew the drill. Hyunwoo stood on the square and waited for the machine to take his measurements and weight as the light scanned up his body. Kihyun checked his tablet to the numbers showing on the scanner and made some notations.

The shorter man walked to the exam table. “Take your shirt off and hop up, please.”

Hyunwoo drew the shirt over his head as he approached the table. Kihyun took the yellow-gold garment from his hands and placed it on a hanger on the side wall. Hyunwoo sat on the metal with his hands supporting his weight slightly behind him and legs splayed comfortably.

Kihyun circled back and took a medical tricorder from the wall. “I’m going to scan you for any diseases or markers that may have occurred since your last checkup.”

It was clear to Hyunwoo that Kihyun was doing everything he could to not make eye contact with him. He let him run the tricorder over him in deafening silence.

“Looks good,” Kihyun mentioned, returning the tricorder to its charger and checking off boxes on the tablet.

“Kihyun...”

Kihyun ignored his half-hearted attempt. “Are you taking any medication?”

“No.”

“Any recreational drugs within the last six months?”

“No.”

“To the best of your knowledge, have you had sexual relations with partners that have or have had STDs?”

“No.”

“To the best of your knowledge, have you had sexual relations with partners who are from or have visited Menga, Vatcha, Calos or Beiishii in the past year?”

“No.”

Kihyun nodded and set the tablet down, stepping closer to Hyunwoo and inside the splay of his legs. This time Kihyun did look at him. “I’m going to perform a general examination.”

He took a scope from his breast pocket and turned it on. “It’s a bit bright. Just look ahead at my ear or nose.” Kihyun ran the light horizontally over his eyes several times. He raised a finger to the upper left of his vision. “Look at my finger.”

The light loomed closer to Hyunwoo’s eyes as he kept focused on the finger.

“Good. Now other side.” Kihyun switched the scope to his other hand and raised his finger to the upper right.

Hyunwoo again focused on the finger.

“Blink.”

Hyunwoo obliged.

Kihyun clicked the light off, returning the scope to his pocket. “You wear reading glasses, correct?”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo stated. Kihyun knew full well he wore them.

“Have you noticed a difference? Such as needing to wear them more often or squinting while using them?”

“No.”

“Very good. Now, I’m going to take a scan of your eyes. Most people feel a slight discomfort and you may tear up. Don’t worry about holding them back, it won’t affect the scan.”

Kihyun took a similar-looking scope from the wall and held it up to his eye. The metal felt cool against his brow bone. “Fifteen seconds, each.”

This was Hyunwoo’s least favorite part. The blue light stung, but he kept looking forward and when Kihyun switched to the other side, it continued to sting.

When the device beeped at fifteen seconds, Kihyun blindly handed him a tissue from the table.

“Holoscreen,” Kihyun commanded. A large screen appeared before Kihyun. Hyunwoo’s scan loomed large before him. It was unsettling, his eyeballs displayed at those dimensions and transparent. Kihyun picked his tablet up and made some notes.

“Are your eyes fatigued in the evenings?” Kihyun inquired.

“I suppose.”

Kihyun ran his finger along two points on the scan and they highlighted to a lighter color. “You see these two areas? They’re ever so slightly inflamed, meaning you’re straining your eyes. At this point, you are likely unaware you’re even doing it. However, it does indicate you may be on the cusp of vision deterioration. Your vision is fine at the moment, but that may change down the line. I recommend six month checkups to monitor any degradation. As you know, 20/20 vision is mandatory for field work. It’s nothing to worry about, vision is easily corrected.”

“Ears,” Kihyun stated, pulling the scope out of his pocket again and getting close.

Kihyun’s warm fingertips grazed his face to angle him properly. His hip pressed against the inside of his knee. Having Kihyun’s mouth and face so close to his neck and jaw was distracting. He smelled like fucking heaven. Kihyun’s apple shampoo tickled his nose and a sweet, woody musk effused from his warm skin.

“Looks good,” Kihyun said and switched to the other ear.

“Have you noticed any change in hearing? Turning the volume up more? Asking others to repeat themselves?”

“No.” It occurred to Hyunwoo that had last night not happened, this examination could be so much fun. Under the circumstances, it didn’t feel appropriate to joke, make any rejoinders or even look at Kihyun in that way which never failed to throw him off balance and make him stumble.

“Any dizziness, tinnitus, vertigo?”

“No.”

Kihyun nodded, pulling a set of unusual headphones from a drawer and tearing them from the sterilization pouch. “This will measure your hearing capabilities. You’ll hear beeping, words, various other sounds. The electrodes I’m attaching will monitor how your brain processes them. The test takes about three minutes. There are periods of no sound, so don’t worry if you’re not hearing anything.”

Kihyun placed the phones over his ears. “Comfortable?” 

“Yes.”

Kihyun attached the electrodes and rolled a stool in front of the holoscreen, taking a seat for the first time. He swiped a few options, and the test began.

There wasn’t anything to do but listen. He watched Kihyun monitor his progress on the screen, occasionally checking something off on the tablet. He wondered how to broach the previous night with the man or how to talk about their relationship from this point forward.

Kihyun held up a hand, still looking at the screen. “Don’t get distracted. It confuses the test.”

“Sorry,” Hyunwoo apologized, focusing on the sounds once more.

A couple moments later, Kihyun stood and removed his headphones. “Your hearing is as perfect as it can be for a human.”

“Next, I’ll check your skin condition and then we’ll do a cardiac assessment. Do you experience any dry skin or sensitivity?”

“No,” Hyunwoo answered.

Kihyun took Hyunwoo’s hand in his and pinched the skin at the top, checking elasticity. He turned the hand over pressed and tapped his fingers up the inside of his forearm.

“Light.” An overhead light brightened considerably over Hyunwoo. Taking Hyunwoo’s head in his hands, he lightly ran his thumbs over the skin, getting closer to check for any patchiness, dryness or discoloration.

Hyunwoo’s heart surged. The last time his face was between Kihyun’s hands, they were kissing. In fact, Kihyun was close enough to kiss right now.

Kihyun opened another sterilized pack of electrodes. “I’ll just place these on your chest and torso.” His nimble fingers stuck them to his pecs and abdomen. “Take a step onto the treadmill. It will announce when it’s starting with a countdown and will tell you when it’s increasing speed. For some, especially athletic individuals, the speed can get quite fast as we are trying to get you to a certain heart-rate. If, at any time, you need to terminate the program, simply say ‘stop’ or pull the cord from the display in front of you.” 

Hyunwoo stepped up on the platform of the treadmill. After the countdown from five, the belt pushed him to a brisk walk. Kihyun puttered around the room, occasionally glancing up at the holoscreen to check his heart rate and breathing.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo tried again when the treadmill increased to a fast walk.

“Don’t talk unless there is a problem. It will skew the results. We’re checking lung capacity as well. Talking takes away from that,” Kihyun stated, meeting his eyes.

The machine forced him into a light jog and he didn’t miss the way Kihyun’s eyes drifted downwards to his chest momentarily before busying himself with checking the cupboards. Hyunwoo was fairly certain he had no business taking stock of the cupboards and drawers. A Chief Medical Officer had subordinates to do all that for him.

“Level Five starting in 3, 2, 1,” the machine droned. 

Hyunwoo took it in easy stride. As weird as this appointment was, the exertion felt good after spending most of the night tossing and turning. He talked himself into and out of pursuing Kihyun more times than he could count. At the moment, he didn’t know where he stood. Last night fucked everything up. At 4:00 a.m., he called it quits and got ready for the day. Then, he prepped for the ceremony despite being more than ready with his speech for a few weeks. Finally having an outlet for the guilt and anger over last night was a relief. He would push himself hard in the gym tonight after the Newton was well on its journey. Maybe have Hoseok beat the tar from him in the dojo.

Kihyun turned and went to the holoscreen at level five. He appeared to be comparing something to his file on the tablet. 

“Level Six starting in 3, 2, 1.”

“You’re almost there,” Kihyun informed as Hyunwoo began an all-out run. The doctor’s eyes again strayed to his skin, his muscles flexing from the sprint, pecs snapping at each footfall on the belt. A slight pink bloomed high on Kihyun’s cheeks and he resolutely turned back to the hologram. So, Kihyun may be pissed at him, but not necessarily immune to him.

Three more minutes passed. “Target achieved. Commencing cool down.” 

The treadmill slowed to a walk. “Ki-”

Kihyun turned to him brusquely, eyes glued to his tablet. “Your endurance and stamina has improved since last year. The body scan from earlier also shows an increase of muscle mass. One point eight nine pounds, to be exact. Overall physicality places you in the 0.5 top percentile of the crew. I’d tell you not to worry about being passed over on field missions, but seeing as you’re the captain...”

The treadmill finally slowed to a stop and Hyunwoo stepped off. He was hot, but not quite sweating.

Kihyun drummed his fingers against the back of the tablet. “Now. We’re almost finished. I will be taking a full pint of blood today. This is standard procedure for expeditions into otherwise uncharted territories as unforeseen needs may arise. A small tube for today’s testing and the rest will remain in storage. Go ahead and lie down on the chair. Cups and water over there if you need it.”

Hyunwoo went to the drinking faucet and filled a paper cup for something to do while Kihyun took a larger sterilized pouch from a cabinet and set up. When Kihyun hooked the bag onto the stand, Hyunwoo downed the water and approached the chair, casually lying down on the inclined seat. It cooled his heated back.

Kihyun offered him a small, empty smile. “Let me just take these off.” He peeled the electrodes from his skin and placed them on a tray. “Have you eaten breakfast or lunch?”

“Breakfast,” Hyunwoo answered.

Kihyun nodded, taking his arm in his hands and checking veins. It didn’t take long, and he pressed on the one he wanted inside his elbow. “See to it you eat lunch after this. I’ll also be administering a restorative to ward off any wooziness that might follow.”

“I will,” Hyunwoo assured.

Kihyun swiped the area down with alcohol and iodine. “A little pinch,” Kihyun warned, and slipped the needle past his skin.

Hyunwoo watched the small tube fill and Kihyun twisted it closed after a few seconds, hitting his commbadge. “Yoo to lab. Sample retrieval.”

The blood flow now traveled to the bag, red winding its way through the skinny tubing.

“You’ve got a steady flow,” Kihyun approved. “If it slows or you begin to feel tingling in your arm or hand, let me know.” He walked over to the holoscreen and started hitting boxes so quickly; Hyunwoo could tell he’d done about a thousand of these.

He waited until Kihyun powered down the holoscreen. “Can we talk for a moment?”

Kihyun turned halfway to him, not responding, and stuffed his hands in the large pockets of the lab coat.

“Is this how it’s going to be from now on?” Hyunwoo questioned.

Kihyun sighed and dropped his head in defeat. He rolled the stool beside him and looked at him.

“We need to talk. Even if it’s not the talk I wanted to have with you,” Hyunwoo started.

“I am so sorry you saw that last night,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s eyes widened, mouth parting slightly in shock. “That I _saw_ it?”

Hyunwoo winced. That was a poor choice of words; he was usually much smoother than this. “Kihyun, if I could go back and undo it, I would, but I can’t. All I can tell you is that it didn’t mean anything. I’m not sure why I did it.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kihyun said sarcastically, “maybe it was the prospect of a wild night with two beautiful men before you were shackled to me for the next three years.”

“Trust me. It wasn’t that,” Hyunwoo said. 

“Trust? Did you even want-?” Kihyun started. 

There was a beep at the door and a lab technician squeezed in, sliding the door closed behind her manually. Kihyun handed her the test tube. 

“Thank you, Doctor. I’ll get right on it,” she said, halting at Hyunwoo’s naked upper body.

“Georgia,” Kihyun said, calling her attention when it was clear she was enthralled and frozen. He gave her disapproving eyes.

She blushed, unaware of her behavior. “Right,” she said, nodding at him and exiting.

Kihyun turned back to him when the door closed. “Did you even want something between us? For all I know, you were going to suggest a casual affair, in which case, I have no reason to feel the way I do right now. Or maybe your time away from me this week changed your mind, and you decided to leave what transpired on Terlesia as a one-off.”

Hyunwoo looked at Kihyun with regret. “Kihyun, you weren’t reading anything wrong. I want you.”

Kihyun looked down.

Hyunwoo would have tilted his face up to him if there weren’t a needle in his arm. “Do you have any idea how much you’ve plagued my thoughts? How right it felt kissing you, holding you? How much I want to continue kissing you?” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s hands curled into loose fists on his thighs. “And yet, you were still going to fuck those two men last night.”

“Kihyun, I know it looked that way, but I wasn’t,” Hyunwoo said.

“Right,” Kihyun said, though it was obvious he didn’t believe him. He stood up from the stool and checked the bag, shaking it gently.

Kihyun lips lifted slightly. “Your actions don’t quite live up to your words, Captain.”

“I made a mistake,” Hyunwoo tried.

That seemed to hurt Kihyun more.

He wasn’t ready to give up, but it may be time to execute a temporary retreat. It’d only happened about twelve hours ago. Disappointment gnawed at Hyunwoo. “What do you need from me?”

Kihyun looked at him desperately. “I want to go back to how it was before. Forget the last two weeks happened,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo shook his head. “I can’t do that,” he stated. “Forget, that is.”

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun said softly. 

“I can’t,” Hyunwoo said honestly, “and I don’t think you can either.”

“Then, _pretend_ ,” Kihyun said fervently. “Eventually, things will settle and it won’t be uncomfortable like it is now.”

Hyunwoo’s jaw set, unwilling to meet Kihyun’s demands.

Kihyun’s eyes softened and he touched his fingers lightly to Hyunwoo’s wrist. “We’re friends, aren’t we? I mean, I know we’re not as close as we are with the others, but you consider me a friend, right?”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo agreed.

“Then, as your friend, I’m asking you to do this for me and, honestly, I think you owe me that much,” Kihyun said.

“Okay,” he conceded.

“Thank you,” Kihyun said, relief evident in his voice. He checked the bag and stopped the blood flow. He slipped the needle free and administered the dermal regenerator to the wound in a short burst, then swiped the unblemished skin with an alcohol pad.

The doctor stood and placed the pint in an even larger bag, writing Hyunwoo’s medical record number across the top.

“For now,” Hyunwoo stated at Kihyun’s turned back.

Kihyun whirled around. “For now? Wha-Hyunwoo, no. That’s not-”

“I’ll give you some space. For now. However, I have no intention of forgetting what happened or remaining ‘just a friend’ forever. As rightfully angry as you are right now, I don’t think you do either.”

Hyunwoo could tell Kihyun was miffed, lips tightly sealed to keep from cursing him. His hands roughly pushed his chocolate hair from his face and he took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. He approached him with a shot, his usual calm and gentle bedside manner erased, though he administered it quickly and smoothly to his upper arm. Kihyun scanned over the site with another burst of the dermal regenerator.

“I think you will find yourself sorely disappointed,” Kihyun said as he replaced the device on the wall.

Hyunwoo hid a smile, he deserved that. Kihyun sounded almost like his usual self. He stood from the chair and retrieved his top from the hanger.

“Any orders, Dr. Yoo?” he asked and approached the man, uniform in hand. He may have taken one too many steps than necessary.

Kihyun took a step back. If this was Hyunwoo’s idea of giving him space, he really sucked at it. “You can start by putting your damn shirt on, Fabio.”

Hyunwoo purposefully did not put it back on.

Kihyun picked up his trusty tablet and started signing off on the visit, unwilling to play along. “If there’s anything unusual or concerning in your bloodwork, I’ll let you know. For now, eat lunch; that restorative doesn’t do all the work on its own. Do you have any questions or concerns I need to know about?”

Hyunwoo’s brow rose.

“Medical,” Kihyun clarified.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “No.”

“Has your shoulder been bothering you? Any twinges or discomfort during or following exercise?” Kihyun asked.

He was referring to the acid-dipped arrow he took to it when they visited Kreger a year ago. Sometimes playing peacekeeper on behalf of the Federation had its disadvantages. “No. Worried about me?”

Kihyun rolled his eyes. “You're my patient. It’s literally my job.”

“That's something, at least.”

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun sighed in annoyance.

Hyunwoo pulled his shirt on. “Space. I know.” He headed for the door. “You'll be at dinner tomorrow?”

Kihyun nodded. It sucked that this was happening with his boss and friend and friend to all his friends. There was no running from the awkward. 

“Have a good day, Dr. Yoo,” he said and left.

Kihyun swallowed in the empty room. Hyunwoo was wrong. He wasn’t angry at him, not anymore; that faded along with the alcohol. He was hurt. There was a difference. That Hyunwoo had honorable intentions and still forgot about him for his own pleasure? It stung. His chest burned every time he thought of all those hands on Hyunwoo last night and his hands on them, probably whispering the same things he whispered to Kihyun. The burning was immediately followed by hating himself for feeling so foolishly deep about somebody he wasn’t even with. A few kisses and, apparently, he was a fucking goner. Pathetic. 

For all he knew, every sweet thing that came from Hyunwoo’s mouth on Terlesia was lip-service, his determination to pursue Kihyun an empty promise to spare his feelings. He hadn’t felt this insecure since puberty. Putting on a show of false bravado in front of Hyunwoo wasn’t easy, but it was crucial. Kihyun knew from experience the one’s you trusted and cared about hurt you the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I don't know what I'm doing?
> 
> I will circle back and fix any glaringly obvious typos this weekend, but it's Friday evening and I wanted to get it posted.
> 
> I won't promise to update sooner anymore since it is a bald-faced lie (despite my best intentions). However, I'm not giving up. I still enjoy writing this story.
> 
> And this is definitely endgame showki, so no fears.


	15. Siren's Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been awhile, yeah? Full disclosure, this chapter is a hodgepodge of three separate chapters (three different attempts for one chapter). Because of that, it may read a little choppy. Sorry for that.
> 
> In case it's not apparent, this chapter begins the same day the Newton departs Earth for Siren then moves forward from there. I think I make the timeline somewhat clear throughout the rest of the chapter, but if not, let me know.
> 
> On the plus side, this chapter is almost exclusively showki.

Hyungwon finished his shift twenty minutes ago. The Newton was well on its way, but the excitement he felt days earlier was now hollow. It was only early evening, but he was drained and didn’t yet want to retire to his quarters. The doors to the arboretum closed behind him. It was a place he frequently took refuge to be alone and close his eyes. There was a particular oak tree in the back right he napped under. The place was mostly empty this time of day, any agriculture department duties long since completed. A couple sat reading under a young willow, another loner leaned against the trunk of a Silver Maple, smashing fingers against a tablet in some video game battle.

He slowed as he reached his tree. Normally, he’d be pissed someone was under it. He’d been tempted to seek Kihyun out today, but was unwilling to expose how much this morning affected him by doing so. The doctor was still in his uniform, must have come straight from sickbay. His head was bent over a tablet, brow knit in concentration and his stylus moved carefully over the screen.

“Of all the trees, you had to take mine?” Hyungwon asked at ten feet.

Kihyun startled and put a hand to his heart, sending him a glare. “I was waiting for you.”

Hyungwon sighed dramatically. “I was afraid of this. Kihyun, I’m just not interested. That kiss you landed last night-”

“Fuck off, dickwad. That’s not why I’m here.” Kihyun patted the space beside him.

Hyungwon’s back slid down the rough trunk as he took a seat next to the smaller man. There was a sketch on Kihyun’s tablet.

“Is that...?” Hyungwon said.

“Yes. Shrier showed me how to use the program earlier,” Kihyun said quietly. He side-eyed Hyungwon uncertainly. “You think he’s your father?”

Hyungwon took the tablet from him, considering the face on the screen. “I don’t know. Maybe, or someone I share blood with.”

“Dimples and lips are usually passed on by fathers, you know...”

They both assessed the man on the screen. Kihyun took it back and added some silver strands to the waves of his hair. “I guess it doesn’t jog anything, then?” Kihyun asked.

“No,” Hyungwon stated.

“Are you okay?” Kihyun inquired.

“Mm-hmm. You?”

“Fine,” Kihyun replied. 

Hyungwon huffed. “I think I kind of guessed there was something odd about my upbringing. Picking a lock, breaking and entering, hacking. It all felt second nature during my training before Starfleet.”

Kihyun hummed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention what it was you used to do before joining the Academy.”

“And you never will again...” Hyungwon sighed. “Now that you remember him, I have to ask. Did he take part in hurting you?”

“No,” Kihyun said dismissively.

He powered off the tablet with a sad smile. “I don’t know whether to be happy for you or not.”

“My dad, the criminal, you mean? I don’t think I would use the term happy, but it’s a...relief or more like a hope that I might fill in the blankness of the first twelve years of my life.”

“Looks like I’m the only orphan now. I always thought it was our common denominator.”

Hyungwon reluctantly admitted that Kihyun was capable of something resembling cuteness on occasion. The little harpy was worried there was nothing left to connect them. They were always the cynics when it came to home and hearth. “We still have our inaptitude with regulation and protocol.”

Kihyun grimaced, moving to sit up on his shins. “Well, I’m off to dinner with Joo. Come with?”

“Nah. I’m gonna close my eyes for a while. See you in a bit,” Hyungwon said, slumping against the tree and closing his eyes.

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun was starting to hate getting called to the war room. It had been a hell of a day and all he really wanted to do was soak in a hot bath then watch a movie and cool off with a refreshing popsicle. Instead, he was heading to the war room and to the captain who he had zero desire seeing at the moment.

When he passed the threshold, he stopped and took in the surroundings. He looked down at his wristband. No, right on time.

“Dr. Yoo, take a seat.” Hyunwoo motioned to the chair before him.

Hyunwoo, Hoseok, Changkyun and Hyungwon sat on the other side of the table.

Kihyun trepidly walked forward and sat. This was different.

“...Where is everybody?”

“They’re not coming,” Hyunwoo explained. “Your case was handed over to Star Base One. However, we are going to investigate separately.”

“Separate. You mean secretly,” Kihyun said.

“There’s nothing wrong about looking into it on our own. It does involve two of my Senior Officers,” Hyunwoo responded. 

“Then why is it only us?” Kihyun asked.

Hoseok hid a grin. He could have foreseen this.

“Because I don’t need or want to take my crew from their day-to-day obligations. If that’s all, why don’t we start-”

“What can you hope to accomplish with the five of us in a room? We can hardly do anything about it on our way to Siren,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo’s jaw set. “We will delegate and outsource any physical investigation needed if we come upon something.”

“...To Star Base One? I’m sorry, Sir, if it’s not your case anymore, how-”

“Dr. Yoo.” Hyunwoo licked his lips and swallowed, collecting his patience. “We’re only trying to find some answers. Do you have a problem with that?” he inquired.

“No, Sir,” Kihyun replied sharply.

Hoseok didn’t bother hiding his grin this time.

“Good.” Hyunwoo straightened further in his seat. “You claimed the man from the crowd was the man from your abduction. How confident are you in that statement?”

Kihyun’s mouth parted. He looked at each man on the other side of the table. Why the fuck was he even here if they didn’t believe him?

“One-hundred percent,” Kihyun clipped.

Changkyun’s brows rose. “That is a rather confident claim, Dr. Yoo. With the distance between you, the lights...”

Kihyun crossed his legs and his arms. Was this an investigation or an interrogation?

“Dr. Yoo, please understand we are trying to allocate our time and direction down the best path,” Hyunwoo explained.

Hyungwon sighed.

“Don’t get angry. These are standard questions,” Hoseok added.

“I’m not angry,” Kihyun bit out.

“Regardless of what you did or did not see, you remembered something from your time at that place you couldn’t recall before. Why don’t we start there?” Changkyun advised.

Kihyun blinked. “Um...”

“Can you remember your conversation with the man?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun’s eyes squinted slightly, imagining the office as if he were sitting in the chair once again. He could see the bookshelves and the paneled window between them, the predawn sky, the polished desk and the man who sat behind it, right where Hyunwoo was sitting now.

“If memory serves, you came upon him downstairs, after leaving Sharp,” Changkyun said. “Can you recall what he said first? Was he surprised to see you wandering about the house on your own?”

“He doesn’t come off as a man who surprises easily,” Kihyun said. “I think he asked about Sharp’s condition and I told him he was fine...swell, actually.”

“Very good. Can you walk us through what happens next?” Changkyun asked.

Kihyun’s shoulders loosened though his arms remained crossed. “The two younger men left, I sat down and asked who he was.”

The others remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

He stared back at them blankly. “He didn’t tell me, obviously.”

Changkyun leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “Kihyun, do me a favor. Relax, close your eyes and go through word by word. Pick apart his words, your words, his reactions. Assess it through your own point of view, not through what you think we want to know. Take your time. You might notice little things that could lead to big things down the road. Say whatever comes to mind.”

This was kind of embarrassing, but Kihyun uncrossed his limbs and closed his eyes. His hands settled on his lap. At first it was impossible, too aware of the eyes he felt trained on him, but eventually, he was able to transport himself there once again.

“They’re a close unit. Like a family.”

“What brought you to that conclusion?” Changkyun inquired in full therapist mode.

“He referred to Sharp as a troublemaker, but fondly. Called the others ‘boys,’ but it held the connotation of ‘his boys.’”

“You’re doing great. What happens next?”

“He apologized for the day before...with Jefferson. He used the word matchmaker when I asked him what he did. He must have a lot of connections. He said the only reason I was there was to treat Sharp.”

“Did you believe him?” Changkyun said.

“Somewhat? Sharp was definitely sick, but at the time I did think it had something to do with the Newton. I guess I thought they wanted the ship to stay at Thalos IV, but I’ve told you that before.”

“Anything else?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun opened his eyes. “He said, ‘I can see why the captain and crew like you so much.’”

Hyungwon knocked his fist against the table in vindication.

“And, he said that with what kind of feeling? Familiarity?” Changkyun asked.

Kihyun lifted a shoulder. “I think so. It’s hard to say. His speech is cultured and smooth. It might have merely been something he said since I healed Gun. A compliment, but now that I think about it, it did strike me as odd. Both back then and now.”

“That’s it,” Kihyun said when the silence stretched a little too long.

“Do you recall anything else?” Changkyun inquired. “There’s nothing too small.”

“No?”

“That’s fine,” Hyunwoo said. “Does remembering him change your perception of anything?”

“I got the impression that in comparison to Flynn, they’re sharper, cleaner and more organized. The blond and brunette seemed almost disdainful of having to use them in the first place. Flynn and his crew were brash and rough, whereas they were calculated, calmer. Especially if I take into account the night at the club. I also don’t think the man knew of Flynn’s decision to leave me on Tangor.”

“Shrier showed you how to use the sketch software, have you completed the reconstruction?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Very well. Send that to me. That’s all for now. Thank you, Dr. Yoo.”

That was a dismissal if he ever heard one. He stood up and once again the others remained seated. They might be done with him, but they certainly weren’t done.

Kihyun sat back down. “What happens now?”

Four pairs of raised eyebrows were directed his way.

“What are you going to do with this information?” Kihyun clarified.

“Hand it over to the new case manager,” Hyunwoo replied.

“You said you were going to investigate on your own,” Kihyun reminded the captain who became slightly agitated at his continued presence. Captain sure got his panties in a bunch when people didn’t do what he wanted.

Hyunwoo sighed and scratched a finger at his temple, then relaxed into his chair and regarded the doctor. “If I feel Lieutenant Hilton’s investigation is not up to par, I will outsource what needs to be done.”

Kihyun crossed his legs again. There was something weird about this. “That’s not exactly kosher, Captain. Certainly not protocol.”

“I believe you were dismissed, Dr. Yoo.”

Kihyun ignored it. “If we’re not doing things by the book, why can’t I assist?”

“You have no background or training,” Hyunwoo informed blandly. It made Kihyun feel like an idiot.

“It involves me,” Kihyun argued calmly.

“Correct, but you are not involved in the investigation. Have I made myself clear?”

Kihyun stared back at him, mouth set in a thin line.

“Have I made myself clear?” Hyunwoo repeated with an edge.

The other three were clearly staying out of this.

Kihyun's refusal to answer a direct question was a clear violation.

“Do you need a refresher course on proper conduct, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun’s neck reddened in anger and embarrassment. He didn’t want to give in, but even he could recognize his drive to challenge Hyunwoo went beyond the unfairness of being left out. Some residual anger still simmered under the hurt after all.

Hyunwoo’s unerring stare remained on him. “Perhaps a night in the brig will serve as a reminder. Lord knows I’ve warned you.”

Hyungwon and Changkyun looked away, uncomfortable.

Kihyun swallowed. He wanted to fight, but it would only cause a nuisance for himself, not the Captain. ‘Do it fast like a bandaid,’ he encouraged himself.

He stood up. “I apologize, Captain. Yes, Sir. You’ve made yourself abundantly clear. I am not wanted. I’ll send you the finished profile. Good evening.” He turned on his foot and walked out, the door almost not fast enough for him.

Hyungwon whistled when the door slid closed. “Damn.”

“Not exactly groveling, Sir,” Hoseok said.

“Shut-up,” Hyunwoo said without heat. “That’s entirely separate from this. I’m not about to indulge a member of my crew to garner favor and I’m certainly not going to let a Senior Officer get away with behaving that way.”

Hyunwoo turned on the holoscreen. “Now, let’s talk about candidates for field investigation.”

________________________________________________________

Kihyun warily watched the captain approach him with a heavy breakfast tray. He idly thought Hyunwoo really sucked at giving space. In the mornings, Kihyun came to the cafeteria at exactly 7:00 a.m.. He ordered either a green smoothie, egg white and spinach omelet or a fruit bowl with granola. Today, he went with the green smoothie. It was easier to read and drink than read and eat, and he hoped to finish reviewing the last of the research team’s outlines before work. He sighed internally, it would seem that was now out of the question.

He put the tablet down as Hyunwoo came to stand across him on the other side of the table. “Good morning, Captain.”

“Good morning,” Hyunwoo replied and took the empty seat.

Kihyun eyed his tray: bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, black coffee, an apple bran muffin and a banana. Must be nice, Kihyun thought bitterly, to be able to eat whatever one wanted and still look like that. He, on the other hand, selected his food wisely. The smallest increase in calories meant chubby cheeks and love handles. He knew this from experience; he wasn’t the sveltest of children.

“How is your department settling in?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Shop talk, hmm?” Kihyun returned. He was still nettled about the debriefing a few days ago.

“Are you giving me the green light to get personal?” Hyunwoo inquired with searching eyes.

“We’re fine,” Kihyun deflected. “We’ve several promising research ventures underway. It should keep us more than busy till we reach Siren.”

“And, you?” Kihyun asked to be polite.

Hyunwoo smiled, finding the question funny. “You’re asking how the captain of the ship is settling in?” 

Kihyun’s lips pursed around his straw and sipped. “Yes.”

“Fine, thank you. Wish I could say the same for the whole ship.”

Kihyun’s lips freed the straw as his brow scrunched. “What do you mean?”

“Changkyun’s been overloaded with crew members. Homesick, I suppose,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun scoffed. “We’ve only been gone a few days. How can anyone possibly be homesick? We’ve been gone for months at a time before.”

A sad smile overtook Hyunwoo’s face as he watched Kihyun. “With the exception of you, Hyungwon and a couple other individuals, ‘home’ is a powerful sentiment. It’s hard to leave it behind. It’s more than a place, it’s the people. Now that we’re officially on course and the excitement has died down, three years really starts to sink in. Let’s be real, we all know this could become more than three years. It depends on what we find out there. Not to mention, there are unknown dangers.”

Hyunwoo stopped eating, growing pensive. “I sometimes forget how young this crew is. They’re depressed, anxious, maybe reevaluating their choices.”

Kihyun scoffed. “Please. You’re just as young as the rest of us, Captain. Besides, it’s too late for second-guessing now. They should know that,” he replied unapologetically. 

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo eat for a few moments, almost in awe that Hyunwoo was really going to finish that tray. However, despite the man’s obvious gusto, Kihyun recognized the strain around his eyes. The crew’s low morale bothered him. Hyunwoo blamed himself. Good leaders always do.

“This is only the beginning,” Kihyun said. “They will move past this stage and become stronger for it. You’ll see. People adapt. That’s all this is, the crew is adjusting. Eventually, this place will become their home, like it is for me.”

Hyunwoo looked at him, searching.

Kihyun shifted in his seat. “Anyway.” He cleared his throat. “Are you homesick already?”

“Me? Nah. This is the mission I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” Hyunwoo explained. “Besides, with the exception of my father, my family is on this ship.”

Hyunwoo’s stare was deep and Kihyun quickly sucked up half his smoothie. Maybe it was time to get out of here. Instead, he said, “I’d be lost without Min and Jooheon.”

The side of Hyunwoo’s mouth tilted up. “And the rest of us? Hoseok, Hyungwon, Changkyun? Me?”

Kihyun stiffened. He stabbed the straw through the smoothie and swirled it around in thought. “I-you’re complicated.”

“So are you,” Hyunwoo replied easily.

Kihyun dropped the straw. “No, I’m not. You said I was an open book.”

“Not lately,” Hyunwoo said. “I can’t tell what it is you want or don’t want recently. Do you want to play at cordiality or do you want to fight? Do you want my attention or do you want me to ignore you? Do you want to forget or do you want to remember? Your every look tells me something different. It’s honestly very confusing.”

Kihyun didn’t like where this was headed, so he changed course. “I saw the news this morning.”

Hyunwoo’s brow lifted at the change of topic, but he rolled with it, regardless. “Anything interesting?”

“Your boyfriend was arrested,” Kihyun stated, watching Hyunwoo closely.

“Boyfriend?”

Kihyun huffed. “Daddy long legs, Simon Firsop.” He waited for a reaction, but was disappointed. Hyunwoo had a poker face to rival the best.

“Oh,” Hyunwoo said, monotonous.

“Oh?” Kihyun asked. “Just ‘oh?’ Aren’t you curious? He was selling placebos to sick people, for children.”

“I’m glad they caught him,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s eyes narrowed on him.“How did you come to know the bastard?” 

“He was a friend or companion or something to Jinyoung. I only met him the once. Why do you ask?”

Kihyun wasn’t sure if it was smart to air his speculations or not, especially since this prickling of unease only started an hour ago as he brushed his teeth in front of the news. “It occurred to me you have incredibly poor taste in lovers. There was the terrorist Hyolyn, before her, there was that woman, who just happened to be the daughter of a crime boss, now there’s this asshole taking money from sick people.”

“Okay. For the last time, Simon was not my lover and, secondly, my taste in lovers isn’t all flawed. I want you, don’t I?”

Hyunwoo’s directness caught him off-guard. Dammit, Kihyun silently groaned, it was way too early to be blushing.

Kihyun vehemently ignored the heat scalding his cheeks. “But, don’t you think it’s strange? All these people were criminals. Are you a magnet for that ilk of people or is this some fetish of yours?”

An amused brow rose. “I quite prefer yours. Also, Cassandra wasn’t a criminal, she only happened to be connected to one. She’s really quite a lovely person.” 

“Goody for you,” Kihyun muttered.

Hyunwoo eyed Kihyun. “But, just out of curiosity, do _you_ think it’s strange?” He tore off the top of the muffin and popped it into his mouth.

“Yes,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo nodded his head, considering. “Hm.”

“Hm? What is that supposed to mean?”

Hyunwoo lifted and dropped his shoulder carelessly. “Nothing.”

Kihyun looked at him flatly for a moment. The bastard picked up a piece of bacon and savored it, without a care in the world.

He placed his palms on the table, preparing to push up. “You know what, I’ve got a busy day ahead and I’m sure you do, too. I’ll leave you to it.” Kihyun rose.

“Sit. Wait till I’m finished,” Hyunwoo said. Seeing Kihyun’s annoyance, he added, “Please.”

He reluctantly resumed his seat. “What? Uncomfortable dining alone?” Kihyun asked, laced with almost enough condescending intonation to warrant action. 

Hyunwoo didn’t seem to mind or perhaps he was practiced enough with Kihyun’s challenges and outbursts to ignore it. More than likely, it was too early for Hyunwoo to want to discipline anyone.

“It’s not for my benefit. It’s for theirs,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun made a face.

Hyunwoo shoveled some eggs into his mouth and flicked his fork out to indicate the room at large before swallowing. “They get uncomfortable when I’m alone. Don’t know how to act. Should they leave me alone, try to join me? Do I want to be disturbed? Is it rude to invite me to join them? Should they not talk or laugh too loud? It gives them anxiety,” he explained.

Kihyun sighed and crossed his arms. “What are you doing here at this time anyway? I’ve never seen you here this early.”

Hyunwoo washed his food down with a drink of coffee. “Are you asking me if I’m here to see you?”

“Are you?” Kihyun said.

“Yes and no. I did want to see you, but I also have a conference call that pushed my schedule up.”

“Conference call?” he prodded. He didn’t want to sit here in silence.

Hyunwoo forked the last of the hash browns. “Mm. Lieutenant Hilton.”

“Ah. The case I’m not allowed to help with,” Kihyun expanded.

“Don’t start,” Hyunwoo interjected. “I’ve explained. You have no experience or training. You have nothing to provide with the exception of your interview, which you’ve already given.”

“That’s another thing that’s strange,” Kihyun mused aloud, trying to throw Hyunwoo off his game.

“What?”

“Here’s this case you’re so interested in as it concerns two of your senior officers, and all you have working on it is you and your musketeers. Where are the others? The one’s from my first debriefing and from the one after the club? Surely, they have the experience and training I lack.”

“Do you think that’s strange?” Hyunwoo asked for the second time and sipped from his mug.

This was getting repetitive. “Yes. I just said so,” Kihyun replied, annoyed.

“Hm.”

Kihyun’s face tightened. “Are you purposefully trying to piss me off?” he countered.

Hyunwoo smiled then dropped it at Kihyun’s glare. “It’s not the Newton’s anymore. It doesn’t make sense to pull all our resources into this investigation.” He put the last piece of apple-bran into his mouth and chewed as he contemplated.

“Think of it as a hobby, a secret club where myself and the others sleuth to get to the bottom of a mystery.”

“You’re a veritable Hardy Boy,” Kihyun muttered then looked up at him. “And this club, it’s what? The ‘No Yoo Allowed’ club?”

“More like ‘the no distractions allowed’ club,” Hyunwoo corrected, eyes dropping to Kihyun’s pink lips.

Kihyun swallowed. Hyunwoo followed the movement down.

“However, I did mean what I said. You are very talented and incredibly smart, but you quite honestly don’t have the background I’m looking for to assist in something like this. Additionally, as you mentioned a moment ago, you’re very busy. Wouldn’t want to pull you from your research. It’s where you’re needed and it’s what I pay you for,” Hyunwoo continued.

Kihyun looked at the bare tray. “Are you done?”

Hyunwoo wiped his fingers on a paper napkin, in no rush. “With breakfast? Yes.” 

Kihyun didn’t miss how that sounded like Hyunwoo wasn’t anywhere near being done with him. He stood awkwardly with his empty glass and tablet and they headed to the belt that took the finished dishes to the back.

“Thank you for the company, Dr. Yoo. I hope you have a pleasant day,” Hyunwoo said.

“You too, Sir,” Kihyun replied.

They exited the cafeteria together and began the long walk to the turbo lift. From a physician’s point of view, the layout of the ship was beneficial. It forced the crew to walk long distances. There were emergency lifts for various alerts or when necessary, but for the most part the crew accumulated a high step-count per day. Kihyun could do with a red alert right now. The silence made him nervous.

“I was wondering,” Hyunwoo began.

“Yes, Sir?”

“I’m not saying I was lying, but if my shoulder was bothering me. What kind of treatment would that entail? Another surgery? Downtime?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun sighed. A ship full of macho men and Amazonian women who couldn’t admit that wounds actually amounted to pain. “It would depend. I would need to run some tests to start. When does this hypothetical ‘bothering’ occur?”

“First thing in the morning, hypo-.”

“-thetically,” Kihyun finished, nodding his head. “Not after exertion?” He glanced up at Hyunwoo at his side.

“No. Well...occasionally, there may be a little sharp twinge during exertion,” Hyunwoo said.

“Captain,” Kihyun groaned. “I’m your doctor. You’re supposed to come to me with this sort of stuff. Did I or did I not say at your final post-op check to keep me informed of this kind of reaction?”

“It’s not like it hurts much. It’s hardly worth noting, really,” Hyunwoo defended.

“You are not running optimally and you could be or could have been if you told me. What if that twinge happened under attack or in battle? It could put you and others in danger, could be the split-second factor that leaves you wounded or worse.”

“Running optimally? I’m not a robot, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo said.

“Exactly. You’re made of flesh and bone. When is a good time to run these tests?”

Hyunwoo's lips parted. That spiraled out real quick. “Uh. Not today.”

Kihyun nodded. “Tomorrow, then? How is 18:00?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head, considering. “Okay. It’s a d-”

Kihyun’s head snapped towards Hyunwoo, daring him to finish that sentence.

“18:00 works,” Hyunwoo replied.

“I’ll add it to the schedule,” Kihyun said.

They continued down the hall in silence.

Hyunwoo peered down at Kihyun in his peripheral. He smelled sugary today, like lemonade and sugar cookies. 

“We’ll be passing Bebemon in a couple months,” Hyunwoo mentioned.

Kihyun knew exactly when they would be passing _that_ planet. “Is that supposed to interest me?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened in mild shock. He definitely struck a nerve there. “I guess not. I suppose I thought-”

“You supposed wrong.” Kihyun entered the lift. “Deck Four.”

Hyunwoo followed him in and hit the lock button.

Kihyun exhaled in frustration and looked up at Hyunwoo in question.

“This is your friend talking here. Why did you get so upset just now?”

“I’m not upset,” Kihyun retorted.

Hyunwoo gave him a look that said otherwise. “You are. Why?”

“Why should I care about that place?”

“It’s part of your heritage. You’ve never been before. I could go on,” Hyunwoo said.

“Heritage? My grandfather knocked up my human cartographer of a grandmother and sent her on her way. End of story.”

“I see. I never realized your grandfather severed ties. You don’t know anyone there?”

“No. They’re not a social bunch. You know that. Non-Federation Planets 101. We all took the course.”

“Still, you share some of the same genes. They never leave their planet. Surely, you’re a little interested, at least mildly curious?”

“I’m more than my genes, Hyunwoo,” Kihyun said defensively.

“Kihyun, I know that,” Hyunwoo replied sincerely and patiently.

“And, that’s not true. A handful did leave. They became rich whores and made life inherently more difficult for me.”

Since Hyunwoo appeared interested in this, Kihyun gave him his attention. “It’s like this. People I meet find out and they look at me like a lab rat that’s about to pull a rabbit from a hat. They’re fascinated by the unknown, the mystery of the Bemonian. Bebemon? They see me as though I were some kind of mutt. I’ve tainted their bloodline.”

This was all news to him and he knew Kihyun’s file back and forth. “How do you know?”

“My mother reached out when it became apparent I was receptive to the genes at birth. Hers were dormant. She reached out again when I hit puberty. They don’t want anything to do with me.”

“I didn’t know,” Hyunwoo said.

“Well, I don’t talk about it,” Kihyun replied.

“You must have questions though,” Hyunwoo pressed.

“Sure. I have a book of questions. All I have is what my grandmother told me as a child, which definitely didn’t include the-,” Kihyun waved his hand about, “-sex stuff. The rest I learned from experiencing things on my own.”

Hyunwoo considered that. It must have been scary at times.

“I regret bringing it up,” Hyunwoo said.

“Don’t worry about it. I told you. I don’t care,” Kihyun said. He unlocked the lift. “Deck Four.”

It was evident Kihyun cared quite a bit, but Hyunwoo wisely kept that to himself. “Bridge.”

——————————————————————————————————

“Dr. Yoo?” Nurse Sigel inquired through his commbadge.

“Yes?” Kihyun replied distractedly, tapping away at the keyboard.

“Captain Son is here for your 18:00.”

Kihyun sat up straight and stilled. How did it get to be 18:00 already? “Thank you. On my way.”

He’d been working on the department’s weekly report for the Captain. It was the first the time all day he had a moment to do so, and it was by far the longest yet. With so many new projects, it was easily turning into a dissertation-sized monster. Additionally, as with the Captain, more actual appointments filled their days. Why do people wait until their physicals to tell them all the things going wrong with them? Their doctor’s office is literally on the next floor.

His stomach turned over thinking about the impending appointment. He hated that it did. He also hated that he was rummaging through his drawer and applying a lip balm. Hated himself for dabbing today’s perfume behind his ears. Hated himself for pulling out a mirror and fixing his hair. 

He slumped over in his chair and laid his forehead on the desk. ‘What is wrong with me?’ He was a fucking hypocrite. If someone else in his position were doing this, he’d call them a pathetic loser.

Captain was right. He was all over the place. He didn’t know what he wanted. No, that’s a lie. It was worse than that. He knew what he wanted, he simply felt weak for wanting it. He craved to be Hyunwoo’s, to be the only one he looked at. He wanted to be held, and kissed, and loved.

He also wanted to slap and hurt Hyunwoo to soothe the sting. But...he also yearned to smooth his fingers through his hair and tell him it wasn’t his fault that the crew was having a difficult time adjusting.

He pushed away from his desk, giving up. He was a mess. Not much he could do about it right this second. The office door opened and closed behind him.

“One?” Kihyun asked Sigel, checking the room number.

“Yes, Doctor. Will you need assistance?”

“No, I don’t believe so. I’ll contact you, if needed,” he answered and walked into Room One.

“Captain. Good evening,” he greeted. 

Hyunwoo stood from the doctor’s stool. It looked ridiculously miniscule under him. Like a grown man on a toddler’s tricycle.

“Doctor,” he acknowledged, moving to lean against the exam table. “Where do you want me?”

“Um, you can hop up for now. I have some questions before we start,” Kihyun advised.

Hyunwoo placed his hands on the table ledge behind him and pulled himself up with an easy grace.

“Did that cause any twinging?” Kihyun asked.

Hyunwoo lifted a brow. “No. As I said, it’s hardly worth mentioning.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Kihyun replied.

Kihyun scrolled up his tablet. “Your injury happened 13 months ago. When did the discomfort and pain start?”

“ _Pain_ is a bit strong of a word, but I guess three months after the surgery,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun’s jaw clenched. “And you ne-” He exhaled a breath. “Nevermind,” he said calmly. “You’re here now.”

“You mentioned when you wake up it bothers you. What does it feel like?” he asked.

Hyunwoo was silent, thinking.

“A dull ache? Sharp ache? Needle-like? Tingling? Numbness? Is it deep-set or more on the surface? Or maybe it feels like you worked it too hard the day before when it shouldn't?”

“A dull ache, deep.”

Kihyun scribbled notes onto his tablet. “How long does it persist into the morning?”

Hyunwoo shrugged. “Once I get up and move around, I don’t notice it anymore. Maybe twenty minutes?”

Kihyun nodded. “Now, the twinges...what are you doing when those occur?”

“When I lift something especially heavy or exert a lot of force through it.”

“Lifting weights?”

“Not so much weights. More when I’m flipping Hoseok or Hyungwon during sparring or driving them back with my shoulder.”

“And, is this every time, sometimes or once in a while?”

“Sometimes.”

Kihyun stood up and set the tablet on the exam table next to Hyunwoo. “Okay. Take your shirt off, please.”

Hyunwoo unclipped his commbadge and pulled the top over his head, setting them beside him.

Kihyun got close and examined the area where the arrow punctured. The skin was smooth, all traces of scarring erased. “The thing about chrephy poison,” he began and touched the skin, pressing inwards to feel for any anomalies.

“Does that hurt?” he interrupted himself.

“No,” Hyunwoo answered, enjoying having Kihyun this close to him.

“-is that it will never completely clear your body. It’s impossible to extract all of it unless you want to replace your shoulder bone entirely, which is an option,” Kihyun glanced up at him.

“Not interested,” Hyunwoo answered. 

Kihyun moved Hyunwoo’s items to a counter. “Only making you aware,” he said, circling back to him. “It may be something to consider down the line, as you get older. Your bones, like all humans, will gradually weaken. It is possible this discomfort could grow as the years go by and as your bones become more brittle. We don’t want this to become a hindrance to your daily life.”

“I’m not there, yet. I’m not opposed to it someday. I trust your skills, but we’re only starting this expedition. I don’t want to be off-duty or side-lined for physical therapy. I need to be present.”

“That’s fine. In the meantime, I’ll take some scans and see what’s happening. There are treatments to help with the mild symptoms you described, but first...could you stand up for a second?”

Hyunwoo slid off the table, his arm jostling Kihyun’s.

The doctor took a step back. “Relax your arm and shoulder. I’m going to move it around. Tell me if anything feels off.”

Hyunwoo nodded. It was cold in the exam room, and when Kihyun’s warm hands took hold of his forearm and bicep, he shivered at the contrast.

Kihyun took his arm through several motions: parallel to the floor, perpendicular to the floor, rotations in different directions, extensions backwards, bending his forearm to his bicep and running through them all again.

Hyunwoo watched him the entire time, as intent on the beauty beside him as Kihyun was intent with his arm.

Kihyun nodded to himself, dropping his arm and adding more notes to the tablet, satisfied.

“I should you warn you, this isn’t the most pleasant scan. It doesn’t hurt, but it is a little messy,” Kihyun explained, walking to the counter and pulling a couple gloves from a box.

Hyunwoo’s lips quirked.

“What?” Kihyun asked, self-conscious, pulling the latex on and snapping them at his wrists.

“Nothing.” He smiled, biting his cheek. “You may have stumbled onto one of my fantasies right here.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened. Pink blotched his cheeks. “The gloves?” he guessed.

Hyunwoo tilted his head in consideration. “It’s more you and the idea of a messy examination.”

Kihyun shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he sighed. “How can people sexualize an office visit?”

“A hot doctor helps,” Hyunwoo said, watching Kihyun pull a tub of something out of a cabinet.

Kihyun approached him. “Do you mind sitting on the stool? It’ll be easier to apply.”

Hyunwoo’s foot shot out and hooked one of the legs of the stool, pulling it to him. He sat down and looked up at Kihyun expectantly. “You going to mess me up now?”

Kihyun scooped up a gob of the container’s contents and slapped it on his shoulder.

Hyunwoo jolted. “Christ, that’s cold,” he hissed.

Kihyun grinned and added two more large helpings of the clear, gel-like slime to his shoulder.

“It’s getting colder,” Hyunwoo noted with surprise.

“Mm-hmm,” Kihyun confirmed, spreading the gel outwards over his shoulder. “It will form a squishy mold over the next few minutes. It’ll protect your body from the high radiation surges of the probe,” Kihyun explained, setting the container down and stripping off his gloves.

He returned the slime to the cupboard and hopped up on the exam table. They had a minute or two to kill.

Hyunwoo swiveled to face him directly. “I want to invite you for dinner.”

“I already said I was coming Saturday.” Kihyun’s heels kicked gently at the table.

“No, only you.”

“A date?” Kihyun asked.

“Yes.”

“What happened to space?”

“Pushing my luck. Besides, I think I’ve seen more of you in the past few days than I have in quite a while.”

“Extenuating circumstances, Captain,” Kihyun replied.

Hyunwoo shrugged his clean shoulder. “You can say no.”

Hyunwoo searched Kihyun. There. He put the ball in the other man’s court. What would he do with it?

Kihyun sat silently for a moment then dropped down from the table and touched the jelly-molding on his shoulder. “It’s ready.”

Hyunwoo laughed under his breath. So, Kihyun’s strategy was to hoard the ball and not play at all. It did confirm his suspicions though. The doctor was struggling. That was better than ‘no.’

“Holoscreen,” Kihyun demanded, unhooking a small transducer from the wall.

“Let’s see what we’re up against,” Kihyun said to himself and moved the transducer over the molding.

“That’s my shoulder?” Hyunwoo asked, eyes narrowed on the screen. Certainly didn’t look like a shoulder.

“No. The structural integrity of your bone is perfect. I reviewed it from the full body scan done at your physical earlier. What you’re seeing here is the poison,” Kihyun explained, eyes on the screen as he moved the probe along the jelly mold. “It might be worth performing a small procedure with nanites. Some of the poison has broken away.”

“Putting robots in my body is a small procedure?” Hyunwoo glanced up at him.

“Delicate, but yes, small,” Kihyun confirmed. He lowered his head next to Hyunwoo’s and moved the probe back to the more heavily affected spot. He pointed with his other hand. “You see the almost sherbert color along the edges there?”

Hyunwoo tried not to turn his head into Kihyun’s neck. The man’s perfume was thoroughly distracting.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo answered.

“That is poison we can get rid of. It’s surface level on your bone and less dense. I imagine it would help and at least lessen the extremity of the twinges. This is interesting. If the poison continues to break up like this, it is possible that over the course of a few years and several procedures it could be reduced to trace amounts.”

“I could go back to work afterwards?” 

Kihyun inclined his head to the side. “The next day. You’ll have to be put under for the procedure. Wouldn’t want you on the bridge after anesthesia.” He turned his head to meet Hyunwoo’s eyes. “Captain, we’re still a far way from Siren. I doubt you’d miss much.”

“Fine. Your logic is undeniable.”

“Thank you,” Kihyun said, straightening and depositing the probe on a tray.

“However, as for the morning discomfort, is it stiff?”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “You going to help me with that little problem, too?”

Confusion marred Kihyun’s brow for a brief moment before he understood what Hyunwoo meant. He fought a smile and aimed for unamused. For starters, Kihyun wouldn’t classify that as a ‘little’ problem.

“Your shoulder, Captain. Is your shoulder stiff?” Kihyun clarified.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo confirmed.

“I think in terms of that, we are limited with what we can do. Extracting the poison may lessen morning discomfort, but beyond that...? Massage can help. A mild pain reliever. If the feeling you described was more intense, I would implant an inhibitor, but I feel that's a little extreme for what you've told me. Do you sleep on that side at night?”

“No, on my back.”

“That’s good,” Kihyun said, coming to his side again. He pulled at the molding until it tore, then pulled the pieces off him and set them on the tray. He plucked a wipe from a heated container and cleaned the residue from his skin.

Hyunwoo closed his eyes at Kihyun’s touch. “How am I supposed to massage my own shoulder?” he inquired lightly.

Kihyun raised a brow. “With your other hand. I’m not a masseuse, Captain.”

“I seem to recall you professing to be a very skilled masseuse,” Hyunwoo said offhandedly.

Heat pricked under his skin remembering that very moment. He dutifully ignored it.

“I’ll show you some techniques. There are also some tools and appliances I can recommend.”

“Do you know a lot about massagers, Doctor?” Hyunwoo asked, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

Kihyun looked away quickly, feeling caught. Minhyuk had been very generous with his haul of sex goods. He hardly had the time to explore all of them, but he was taking the time to learn one or two of them. He reluctantly admitted that his old faithful was, indeed, boring.

He cleared his throat. “Of course. Massage has long been an aide used in the medical profession.”

Kihyun took a step back, depositing the wipe on the tray. “I suppose that’s it. Would you like to schedule the operation? Do you have any questions?”

“Only the one from earlier,” Hyunwoo said.

“Hmm?”

“Dinner? Or, a movie? A drink? Just the two of us, Hyunwoo and Kihyun, not Captain and Doctor Yoo.”

Kihyun clasped his hands and tried to think of a way out of this situation.

“God, Kihyun, it’s nothing to have an aneurysm over. We don’t have to call it a date.”

“But, it would be.”

“What makes you say that?”

Kihyun’s hand shot out back and forth between them. “Because-there’s...this _thing_ , you know,...with you and me.”

“Very eloquent.”

“Shut up,” Kihyun said, exasperated.

“There you go making my palm itch again,” Hyunwoo said, standing up.

Okay. If Kihyun wasn’t pink before, he was now. He went on the defensive. “Is that all you think about? It’s no wonder you couldn’t help yourself the other day.”

Hyunwoo didn’t let it get to him and moved forward. His hands came down on Kihyun’s shoulders. One smoothed across his shoulder to his neck, his thumb caressed the edge of his jaw. “Should I share some of my fantasies? You might be surprised.”

“Not interested,” Kihyun said, pulling away and taking the tray to the opposite counter.

Hyunwoo followed, placing his hands on the counter’s edge and enclosing Kihyun between his arms. The doctor’s back stiffened.

“I think about us lying down to watch movies on my couch.” He planted a kiss at the back of his neck.

“Our feet secretly touching under the table during Saturday dinners,” Hyunwoo murmured, kissing the tip of his ear.

“I think about waking up and finding your sweet face tucked into my arm,” he whispered, tongue darting out to lick the same spot.

“About shared glances as we pass each other in the halls and quick kisses in the turbolift.” He pressed his nose into Kihyun’s neck and smelled him like he’d been dying to since he walked in.

A soft moan escaped Kihyun.

“I think about you, all the damn time,” Hyunwoo confessed.

He watched Kihyun’s hands curl into fists on the counter and honestly thought he was about to be slapped or punched, but Kihyun surprised him by turning around in the confines of his arms, tilting his head up and kissing him. The doctor’s arms wrapped around his neck as he pushed up and into him, connecting their bodies.

It ended as suddenly as it started. Kihyun pushed him away and ran a hand over his mouth, not meeting his eyes. 

“That was a mistake.” Brown eyes flitted up to him briefly. 

Hyunwoo tried to close the distance between them, but Kihyun quickly moved to the open space of the exam room.

“Kihyun, what the hell?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to confuse you, but you also agreed to give me space. You’re abusing it and if you can’t abide by my request, I can’t be around you.”

There was a smallness to Kihyun’s voice that Hyunwoo didn’t like. He didn’t want Kihyun to pull away from him any further than he already had.

“I apologize. Perhaps I’m adjusting as well.”

Kihyun nodded. “Let us know when you’d like to have the surgery. I’ll let you get dressed. Good night, Captain.”

“Good night, Dr. Yoo.”

—————————————————————————————————

“Captain’s Log, Stardate 56083.4. After eight long months, we've reached Siren and after three days of careful flying by helm, we have cleared the asteroid fields. The crew is cramped and restless. We are understandably looking forward to our first away mission: a class M Planet that has been dubbed Calypso. Its mossy covering is visible all the way from space. Topography scans show it is a planet of caves, both above and under water level. Lifeforms have been detected, but are believed to be wildlife. Tactical, as well as myself, will be accompanying a team of twenty scientists and surveyors from various departments for samples and data collection.”

Hyunwoo rolled back from his desk and stood, stretching each arm behind his back. His own eagerness to get off this ship for a few hours likely rivaled the crew’s combined, though he never let it show. He had the dubious honor of leading by example.

Eight months with no stops? It was hard. He understood the antsy behavior on the ship that grew incrementally with each passing month. For the first time, relationships were tested, patience worn too thin, requests for different roommates submitted, several all out fights, and, according to Dr. Yoo’s latest report, three pregnancies. There were going to be _babies_ on his ship.

He left the ready room, entering the bridge. “Lieutenant Chae, she’s in your capable hands.”

“Yes, Sir,” Hyungwon said, moving to take the Captain’s chair.

When he walked into Transport, the excitement hit him like a ton of bricks. He stepped up next to Minhyuk on the platform. 

“Captain. About time, right?”

Hyunwoo smiled in response. “About time.”

“Sorry!” Kihyun exclaimed, striding in, slightly out of breath.

Hyunwoo was pleased to see he upgraded his everyday work boots for ones suited to the landscape below. He noted the camera strapped around his neck. A khaki bucket hat adorned his now blond hair. It looked somewhat ridiculous worn with a Starfleet uniform.

“You realize we’re not on safari, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun met his gaze, too giddy to be bothered. “Who says it’s not for science? Besides, UV rays are nearing moderate-high and this skin wasn’t meant for burning.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of sunblock, handing it over to Minhyuk. “Pass it around,” he instructed.

“I can regenerate everyone’s skin all day long, but I can’t erase the cancerous effects of extreme UV exposure. That is something I’m working on though.”

“Indubitably,” Hyunwoo replied dryly.

Kihyun raised a brow.

Hyunwoo smiled. “Energize.”

They rematerialized on a smooth, moss covered rock bed. Minhyuk and Kihyun surveyed the surrounding, turning in a slow 360. Everything looked...especially still.

“It’s...” Kihyun began.

“Nothing special,” Minhyuk finished, disappointed. He sighed. “Well, doesn’t matter how it looks. It’s what’s here that matters.” He turned to the crew. “What are you waiting for? Collect, my children. Mush!” He grinned at Kihyun. “I love being the boss.”

Kihyun didn’t encourage him and turned to his own team. “Remember to collect two of everything. I want coordinates for each sample.”

The teams broke away and tactical units ventured off with each small cluster of scientists. Hoseok followed Minhyuk. Hyunwoo followed Kihyun.

Kihyun flipped his messenger bag behind him and squatted down, running a tricorder over the moss at his feet. “Are you my guard dog today?”

“Drew the shortest straw, I guess,” Hyunwoo answered.

“Funny.” Kihyun scraped some into a couple tubes and stood up. After typing what he needed into the tricorder, a bar-code printed out and he stuck it to the tubes.

“I’m gonna store these. What I’m really interested in is what these caves hold. Can you take me?” He opened one of the Med Lab containers on the rock bed and stuck them in the tube holders.

Hyunwoo scanned the area with his tricorder. “It looks like there might be an opening to the one we’re standing on a mile and a half due east.”

Extending an arm eastward, Hyunwoo said, “After you.”

Kihyun walked past him and Hyunwoo fell in line at his side. Kihyun wouldn’t classify things as awkward between them anymore, but things didn’t culminate how he expected either. They were friends. Friends who were decidedly not fucking each other. When Kihyun asked for space all those months ago, Hyunwoo respected his wishes. Kihyun was beginning to resent that fact.

There were many times when Kihyun thought about going to Hyunwoo’s cabin, pushing him down on the couch and having his way with him. Instead, he masturbated. A lot. Shaking apart on Hyunwoo’s name in empty quarters.

The man gave him so much space, Kihyun believed he didn’t want it anymore. Back on Terlesia, Hyunwoo thought it might be Kihyun getting too caught up in it. Turns out, it was Hyunwoo getting too caught up in it. It was just a flash in the pan for the captain. He tapped it and moved on. Kihyun had a harder time doing so.

Several months ago, Kihyun began pseudo-flirting with him. Hyunwoo played along, but it never, never went beyond that. Instead of getting together, they poked at each other. It was messed up. Kihyun wanted to put himself out there, but was scared Hyunwoo didn’t want him anymore.

Then, there was Elon, an adorable ensign that worked on the bridge, always in close proximity to the Captain. Kihyun suspected there was something there. Elon looked at Hyunwoo like he hung the moon and stars. Hyunwoo, the bastard, seemed to like it. Captain took the young ensign under his wing, ate with him, sparred with him, even took him to the holodeck. Who knows what they got up to in there.

Kihyun looked great in green, but it left him feeling petty and cruel, especially since he snubbed the kind ensign every chance he got. If there was such a thing as calling dibs on a person, Kihyun got there first and Elon should back the fuck off.

Kihyun was kind, too. Sort of. At least, he wanted to be. Used to be. He couldn’t help it that Hyunwoo and himself devolved into this strange relationship where nothing progressed beyond dull questions and ribs that held an almost malevolent undertone. Every once in a while, they’d have a decent conversation.

In hindsight, Kihyun regretted asking for space. He was over the night in the bar. They weren’t even together, really, and Kihyun had ever-growing suspicions there was more to Hyunwoo than met the eye. Aside from the fact the captain almost encouraged his suspicions those many months ago, there were the four musketeers.

How many times had he witnessed Hyunwoo, Hyungwon, Hoseok and Changkyun almost huddled together? It wasn’t a huddle of close college friends, which they were, it was secretive and gave off clear ‘do not disturb’ signals. Whatever they were doing, it was none of Kihyun’s business, but his imagination ran wild with possibilities.

“Captain, wait a sec, please.” Kihyun took a seat on the grass and scraped a substance of what Kihyun presumed to be pollen into two tubes. He laid down on his tummy and snapped a couple pictures of the dandelion-esque weeds in the grass, before collecting those as well.

“You don’t think this is ‘nothing much,’ do you?” Hyunwoo asked, repeating Minhyuk’s description. He extended a hand to help him up.

Kihyun took it. “I think it’s pretty. The stones are almost violet, and the grass is so soft, and the moons are big and orange like peaches. Like they could drip right down onto us.”

Hyunwoo smiled, eyes creasing at the side.

“What?” Kihyun asked, defensive.

“I think you needn’t have bothered collecting the pollen.” Hyunwoo continued walking onwards.

Kihyun glanced down at himself. He was covered in it. He hastily swiped his hands over himself, trying to wipe it off the black of his uniform. That made it worse. The uniform was now greenish-yellow. With his luck, it was probably poisonous. He gave up, jogging to catch up with Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo side-eyed him, amused. “Your ass looks quite nice dusted in pollen.”

Kihyun colored and peaked at his rear. He looked like a damn bumble bee. “Fuck.”

“Language, Dr. Yoo. Don’t stress. It really brings out your curves,” he teased.

Kihyun walked faster, ready to be in a dark cave where he wouldn’t look like he was walking around in a yellow unitard.

Hyunwoo grinned and easily caught up to him in a few strides. “Who knows? You may have stumbled upon a new form of attracting a mate. Just dust your ass with some pollen and the men will come swarming.”

“You’re not funny.”

“You don’t want to be stung anymore?”

“No.”

“That’s a shame. I think you could use a good prick.”

“Captain,” Kihyun entreated.

“A good sting’ll really get that blood flowing again, get you swelled up and tingling. Leave you dizzy and breathless.”

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo in disbelief. Was that an offer? This was by far the most forward he’d been since Terlesia. “You feeling okay, Captain?”

Hyunwoo smiled, tilting his head towards the sun and taking a deep breath of the fresh air. “Cabin fever, maybe?”

Hyunwoo turned his eyes on Kihyun, raking them down his form. “Or, maybe it’s that you’ve taken a highlighter to your body, asking me to study it.”

Okay. Yeah. His blood was flowing all right. Hyunwoo was definitely coming on to him and Kihyun’s body was fully receptive.

He swallowed. “I think that’s it, just down there.” He pointed to a rock face covered with moss and ferns.

“Don’t go in yet, Dr. Yoo. Let me scan for life forms,” Hyunwoo said, back to being Captain.

Hyunwoo ran the tricorder over the rock. Not detecting anything significant, he pulled at the vines until they revealed a small opening at the ground. They would be crawling in, that’s for sure.

Kihyun was already down on the ground, wiggling into the opening.

Hyunwoo sighed, watching the doctor’s pollinated ass disappear inside. “By all means,” he said to himself. “After you.”

He hit his commbadge. “Son to tactical. Yoo and I are entering a cave at bearings 3.4653° S, 62.2159° W.”

“Copy that, Sir,” Hoseok responded.

It was a tighter squeeze for him than it was for the slim doctor, but he made it through without too much trouble. He was left speechless at the sight before him and he made it to his feet in awe. The doctor stood in the middle of the large, cavernous opening, bathed in yellow phosphorescent lighting of rocks from above. It turned the yellow on Kihyun’s uniform white.

Kihyun turned around to face him. “Can you believe this?” His teeth glowed a blinding white in a wide smile.

Sheets of vivid pink and purple flowers covered the walls of the cave. The ground was soft and cushioned deep with moss. His boots sank down in it a couple centimeters. He was speechless. Personally, he agreed with Minhyuk’s ‘nothing much’ assessment of the planet outside. He never would have guessed this would be underneath the surface.

“I’m gonna take some pictures first.”

Hyunwoo ventured further in, examining the flowered walls. “Careful. Mind where you step,” he advised, lifting his foot from a dip in the moss.

Kihyun crouched down to snap a picture. After the flash, they were abruptly swallowed in darkness. 

“Captain?!” 

“Stay still,” Hyunwoo said with calm.

A moment later, Kihyun heard a couple snaps. Light bloomed from Hyunwoo, holding two lightsticks. He handed one to Kihyun and helped him up. 

“These rocks don’t take kindly to foreign light, I guess,” Hyunwoo said.

“Right,” Kihyun agreed, feeling a little silly for getting scared. “I’ll get the samples. We’ll have to come back with equipment to get some of the rock above.”

Hyunwoo agreed. It was too far to climb and nothing to grapple on to that could hold their weight. 

“Think we can come back later today?” Kihyun capped the Pitri dishes with the last flower.

“There’s no rush. We’re in Siren now, where we spend our time and how long is up to us.”

Kihyun put the containers in his bag and held the light up, walking around the perimeter. “It doesn’t seem like this leads anywhere,” he stated, disappointed.

“Were you hoping for an adventure, Dr. Jones?” Hyunwoo asked, amused.

“Maybe,” Kihyun confessed, approaching Hyunwoo. “Do your topography scans show anything?”

“There’s definitely an intricate network all around us and below us, but as far as I can tell, you can’t get there from here. This is its own, separate room.”

Kihyun sighed.

“We’ll find the opening, but I think it’s best to come back with a larger team and more equipment tomorrow. For today, let’s continue with samples from outside. There’s a lake approximately 1.8 kilometers north.”

Kihyun nodded, looking around one last time and heading back for the hole.

The lake also glowed from underneath. Kihyun wanted to swim down and see, but Hyunwoo wouldn’t let him without proper attire.

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo said, exasperated. “Think of this as a scouting mission. The caves and lake will still be here tomorrow.”

Kihyun scooped some of the red sand at the shore into a tube. He was a little bummed. He was dying to explore, but Hyunwoo was right. This called for safety protocols. He wouldn’t have let his team do it either.

“Are you hungry?” Kihyun asked.

“Did you pack a picnic?” 

“PB&J. I’ll share it,” he offered.

“Sure.”

They settled on a smooth violet rock several feet from the shore. Kihyun handed half the sandwich over.

“Thanks.” Hyunwoo took a large bite. “You use crunchy peanut butter,” he judged, chewing.

Kihyun scoffed. “Hand it over if you don’t want it.” He reached to take the sandwich back.

Hyunwoo held it out of arm's reach as Kihyun leaned across him. “Can’t take it back. You gave it to me.”

After a couple more attempts, Kihyun gave up and ate his half in silence. This was...nice. Things felt right today.

“Should we check in with the others?” Kihyun asked when finished, folding the baggie and storing it inside a pocket of the messenger bag.

“In a while.” Hyunwoo laid back on the rock, resting his head in the palms of his hands and letting the sun beam down on him.

“You should put on sunblock.”

“You should relax,” Hyunwoo countered, snatching his hat, closing his eyes and resting it over his face. He breathed in the scent of Kihyun’s apple shampoo.

Kihyun pulled his legs up, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on his knees. He smiled to himself. This was definitely nice.

It was the perfect temperature to close your eyes and drift off, blanketed by the warmth of the sun. Despite the glowing lake in front of him, the deep rusty sand below him and the curious trees in the distance, he found his eyes resting on Hyunwoo. It was nice to see him like this, not a captain. More like a boy, really, carefree and playful. ‘Man,’ Kihyun corrected, eyes traveling up his long torso to his wide shoulders.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”

Kihyun jumped. Wha-? That hat was in no way transparent. “You wish,” he said.

Kihyun hit the side of his head. ‘What?’ That didn’t even make sense. God, Hyunwoo always made him look like a fool. He knew the bastard was smugly grinning behind his hat.

He forced his eyes forward to the calm, glasslike lake. “If you weren’t a Captain, what do you think you would do?”

Hyunwoo lifted the hat for a moment, regarding Kihyun’s pensive profile before resting it over his face again. “Never thought about it. Can’t imagine not being one.”

After a while, he added, “You?”

Kihyun thought about that for a moment. “If I didn’t know the joys of being a doctor, I think I’d like to be a photographer. Go around the universe and capture all its little miracles.”

Hyunwoo smiled under the hat. “That’s kind of what you do now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I guess so,” Kihyun said.

“So, you’ve got the best of both worlds. Pretty lucky.”

Kihyun hummed in agreement. He did have a charmed life: great friends, great job, great home. The only thing he was missing was a partner. He closed his eyes, feeling suddenly and overwhelmingly lonely. Empty. The force of it surprised him and he uncapped a water bottle to relax his constricting throat.

“Thirsty?” Kihyun asked, when he felt in control again.

With a long, exaggerated stretch, Hyunwoo groaned sleepily and sat up, taking the water bottle from Kihyun and drinking deeply.

“I didn’t say you could have the whole thing,” Kihyun reprimanded, reaching for it.

“Why do you keep offering me things if you don’t want me to have them?”

That felt like a loaded question. Kihyun grumbled to himself and got down from the rock. 

Hyunwoo followed him down, placing the hat back on Kihyun’s head and giving the water bottle back.

“Is there time to check out those trees?” Kihyun asked.

Hyunwoo looked down at his wristband, the position of the sun, then hit his commbadge. “Son to tactical. I want everyone back on the ship by 1700.”

“Yes, Sir. Copy that,” Hoseok replied.

“We’ve got two hours. Keep in mind, we’re three miles out from our rendezvous point.”

Kihyun nodded and started forward, choosing to walk on the sand along the shore.

“So,” Kihyun began. “Now that we’re in Siren, does that change things for you?”

“A bit. Before, my mission was getting us here as efficiently and safely as possible, every moment dictated by timetables. Now, my mission is supporting our science teams as much as possible while keeping us safe.”

“Sounds like you work for us now,” Kihyun said lightly.

“Sounds like someone needs reminding on who is in charge here,” Hyunwoo corrected. “Need a demonstration?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened, watching the sand kicked up by his feet. Here they go again. Was it something in the air down here? 

“No.”

“No, Sir,” Hyunwoo corrected.

“No, Sir,” Kihyun repeated.

“That’s better.”

“Is it safe to assume we’ll be here for a week?” Kihyun asked.

“Reasonably safe to assume that,” Hyunwoo agreed.

“Oh!” Kihyun quickly laid flat on the sand and brought his camera up in front of him, snapping pictures of a couple crab-like critters. They disappeared after the third flash. Literally.

“Wha-?!” Kihyun whipped back around to Hyunwoo. “Did you see that?”

“Yes.”

“That’s so cool. Look. You can still see them a little.” Kihyun pointed, the sun glinting off their transparent shells as they scuttled to the water.

“On the contrary, I think it is decidedly not cool,” Hyunwoo said, looking around.

“Are you kidding me?”

“That there is the possibility of invisible panthers or poisonous snakes in the vicinity? No. I am most certainly not kidding.”

“Such a worrier,” Kihyun said, getting up and dusting the sand off him. He moved up onto the grass and away from the shore, not willing to accidentally crush any cute critters.

“That is my number one duty as a Captain. To worry.” He followed Kihyun up to the grass and hit is commbadge. “Son to tactical. Evidence of invisible wildlife. Take precaution.”

“Roger that, Captain.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, but didn’t come across any new inhabitants.

“What are your plans for the day?” Kihyun asked.

“After this? Review everyone’s reports and see what needs to be organized for tomorrow.”

“Do...do you want to maybe grab some coffee later?” ...Holy shit. Did that really come out of his mouth? He did it. That was crazy spontaneous, but Hyunwoo seemed open to it considering their interactions over the past hour or so.

Hyunwoo looked at him, mild surprise written in his raised brows. “I can’t today. I made plans with Ensign Triste this evening.”

 _‘Fucking Elon.’_ Kihyun seethed.

“Okay.” He didn’t mean to, but he walked faster.

Hyunwoo had the gall to chuckle. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“Hah. Jealous of what?” 

“No? Why are your cheeks red? You look angry.”

“I’m hot,” Kihyun corrected. He pointed at the sun. “It’s hot.” He almost ended that with ‘idiot,’ but had the sense to seal his lips.

“You look constipated,” Hyunwoo added.

“It must be your company,” Kihyun shot back.

“Okay,” Hyunwoo backed off, unable to stop smiling at Kihyun nearly storming off in front of him. “Careful,” he called. 

‘Kihyun was something,’ Hyunwoo thought to himself. When the doctor begged him for space and normalcy eight months ago, Hyunwoo complied. He hurt the man, so Kihyun should be able to call the shots. Despite a couple hiccups at the beginning of their journey, he followed Kihyun’s request to the T. Gave him space both literally and figuratively.

Admittedly, today, he fell short of his promise. He figured it was being off the ship for the first time in a long time. His mood was high and Kihyun, as usual, was devastatingly beautiful and bright. It was only natural to goad him, to provoke the spark that burned under his flawless skin and behind his pretty eyes.

He hadn’t given up on Kihyun. Far from it. However, he was playing by Dr. Yoo’s rule book. Until Kihyun told him ‘yes’ or made the first move, he would patiently wait. It fucking sucked, especially because Kihyun walked around half the time looking like he needed a hug and when Kihyun looked directly at him, he looked like he needed the daylights kissed out of him.

Personally, he felt it had gone on long enough. Given Kihyun’s query a moment ago, perhaps he finally felt the same.

“Coffee?” he tried emulating Kihyun’s warm tone. Cute. 

He lengthened his strides seeing Kihyun was nearing the edge of the woods. He’d really hate to see his future eaten by invisible wolves.

Kihyun stood at the edge of a clearing. At first, Hyunwoo thought he was waiting for him, but as he stopped behind Kihyun’s shoulder, he realized it was because several freshly bloodied birds lay at the bottom of a tree. Leaves sticking into them like knives.

“Get behind me. Back away,” Hyunwoo ordered.

A few red leaves began a graceful fall to the ground, yet there was an unnerving sharpness in the way cut through the air. They were nearly the size of his hand.

“Kihyun. Slowly. Behind me.”

At least fifteen more leaves broke off from the trees and danced in the clearing before them, somehow both sharp and light. Deadly and unassuming. Birds he couldn’t see began signaling eachother, loud caws filling the woods. It didn’t take a genius to know it meant danger.

Out of nowhere, a bird materialized one foot in front of Kihyun and dropped to the ground at his feet. It struggled on the dirt, flapping its bloody wings until it stilled.

“Dammit, Yoo. That's an order.”

When Kihyun didn’t move, Hyunwoo moved to stand in front of him. He watched a gracefully falling leaf change course and dart at him. With Kihyun directly behind him, he took it in the chest. Hissing a curse, he turned them around. 

“Run!” He ordered, staying directly behind Kihyun. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a few more leaves dart in their direction, but they were already too far for them to reach.

Kihyun turned around, white as a ghost. He swallowed. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he replied, eyes still on the woods.

Kihyun approached him, eyeing the leaf stuck in him. “Does it feel like it might be poisonous?”

“Lee to Captain, we’ve got a threat. The trees have have started...attacking. We’re heading back on site now.”

Hyunwoo hit his commbadge. “Acknowledged. Any injuries?”

“Some lacerations, Sir. Mostly minor, though Shrier took several. One to his eye.”

“Don’t wait. Have crew beamed up as they arrive.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo looked at Kihyun and smiled reassuringly. “Well, field-trip over. Should I pull it out?”

Kihyun loomed closer, eyeing it. He seemed torn. “Since it seems to be somewhat sentient, I’d rather take it out in a controlled setting. Does it hurt a lot?”

“No.”

“Are you okay waiting until sickbay?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Sure.”

“It just stings a little,” he added at Kihyun’s worried expression. “Like a paper cut.”

‘That keeps sawing into your flesh,’ he finished to himself.

Kihyun looked at him doubtfully but began a fast pace to keep up with him. “The sun is starting to wane, do you think the trees are regulated by the position of the sun?”

“Anything’s possible. All the more reason to get off now, before the rest of this planet turns against us. It does seem like it occurred at the same time. The other teams started in the woods and were only attacked now.”

“Are you lightheaded? Nauseous?”

“I’m fine, Doctor.”

“Why are you walking so fast?” Kihyun pressed, trying to keep up.

“I’m worried about my crew. That’s all.” _And, you._ Noticing Kihyun nearly jogging to stay at his side, he slowed infinitesimally. 

Within forty minutes, they saw the site in the distance.

Hyunwoo turned around, giving Kihyun time to catch up.

Kihyun’s eyes widened upon seeing him. “Paper cut, my ass. You’re bleeding too much.” He ran forward, placing a hand below the wound, and confirming that his uniform was wet with blood. “Dammit, Captain. Some communication with your Chief Medical Officer would be appreciated.”

“It’s fine. We’re here.” Hyunwoo took Kihyun’s blood stained hand in his and pulled him up the hill to the transport site. He looked around at the valley below. They ventured the farthest. They were the last ones. “Two to beam up.”

Kihyun insisted on wrapping an arm around his waist as they walked to sickbay. Hyunwoo was secretly grateful. He was walking fine, but spots were starting to dance in front of his eyes and he felt blood seeping into his pants.

“Shrier?” Kihyun questioned as they passed the doors.

“Miyeon has him in surgery. Nothing severe. Optical nerve is fine.” Franco informed, motioning them to follow him to an empty biobed.

“It’s still in him,” Franco noted.

Kihyun looked up at him with scissors in his hand.

“The others only had cuts. Said they sliced through the air cutting them before continuing down onto the ground.”

Kihyun nodded, understanding, and cut up Hyunwoo’s uniform, peeling it off over the leaf, trying not to aggravate it too much. He turned to wash his hands in the sink and put on some gloves. “I need a speciman container,” he informed the technician.

He turned back to Hyunwoo. “On a scale of 1 to 10, how much pain are you in?”

“Three.”

Kihyun bit his lip as he ran a medical tricorder over the wound. “I’d rather do this without any anesthetic, so you can tell me if something changes. Burning, throbbing, numbness. Scans shows presence of toxins inside the organism.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Proceed.”

The technician returned gloved and ready to assist. He set the container on the tray at Kihyun’s side. “Forceps.”

Kihyun clamped the forceps around the stiff leaf and pulled. It didn’t work. Hyunwoo jerked and new blood pooled at the laceration.

Hyunwoo breathed. “Five.” Though the leaf stopped digging in further the razor sharp edges fluttered underneath his skin, ripping at the flesh underneath. The way it did as they walked back to the site, unhappy that Hyunwoo was still moving.

Kihyun licked his lips. “Okay. Anesthetic?”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “Keep going.”

Kihyun looked at the tricorder in thought. “Franco. Frost spray and protectant.”

“Yes, Doctor.” He had to leave them to get the items. They weren’t often used.

“Frost spray?” 

“Leaves can’t survive winter. That’s a fact.”

“You’re going to blast it with cold air,” Hyunwoo stated.

“I’m going to blast it with very cold air,” Kihyun expanded, taking the momentary reprieve to wipe up the blood. “You’re a little pale. You going to stay here with me?”

Hyunwoo swallowed. “Mm.” Hyunwoo considered himself to be a somewhat formidable man, but it was more than a little embarrassing he was about to pass out from a leaf.

“Protectant.” Franco opened the container for him.

Kihyun took a brush and painted it over his skin surrounding the wound. “This will sting,” he warned when he painted by the cut. 

Hyunwoo breathed through it.

Kihyun painted the protectant over his glove as well.

“Computer, give me a five inch radius around operation site.”

A permeable dome formed over the wound.

Kihyun took the spray, shaking it rigorously and looking at Hyunwoo.

He offered a weak smile. “Don’t tell me. It’s going to be cold.”

“It’ll definitely wake you up,” Kihyun said.

Kihyun’s ‘Brace yourself’ was all he got before the spray made contact. It was like jolt of lightning and he thought he was burning before he realized it was unbelievably cold. He couldn’t breathe for a moment.

“Extracting,” Kihyun stated. He already had the forceps in hand again. This time, he pulled the frozen leaf from his skin. Placing it in the container, Franco closed it for him.

“Computer, remove shield.”

When the dome disappeared, a white steam swirled in the air before disappearing. Kihyun mopped up the seeping blood and applied pressure. “Doing great, Captain.”

He looked at Franco. “Sanitize and level three regenerator.”

“How do you feel?” Kihyun asked.

Hyunwoo was shivering. “Fine.” His teeth may have chattered. He noticed Kihyun kept flexing his hand. Looks like he wasn’t the only one burned, frozen by the spray.

“Only cold?”

Hyunwoo nodded. He was too numb to feel any remaining stinging from the cut.

“Then on the bright side, you may not feel this next part.” He soaked several thick pads in sanitizer and gently laid them over the cut.

Kihyun was right, he couldn’t feel it.

Letting the cut marinate under the cotton for a moment, Kihyun turned to examine the leaf in the container.

“What is it?”

Kihyun turned back to him. “Making sure none of it broke off in you. It doesn’t look like it, but I’ll scan and look anyway.”

He peeled off the pads and ran the tricorder over him once more. Attaching a mask to cover his mouth and nose, he bent over him. “Magnify.”

“Tore you up pretty good. Clean cut on the surface, wreaked havoc underneath. Zoom 750.”

Kihyun took his time looking inside him before deeming him clear to close up. He lifted his hand up for the regenerator and Franco complied. “Thank you.”

“Let’s close it up.” He applied the regenerator over the laceration.

Fuck. Hyunwoo’s heart surged, the extreme contrast between frozen numbness and heat confusing his body.

“Relax,” Kihyun soothed gently, his other hand resting at his shoulder, a solid presence as his heart thundered. 

Hyunwoo knew from experience regenerators weren’t especially hot, but it felt so wrong on his frozen skin, even underneath.

Kihyun clicked it off. “Good as new. Are you in any pain now?”

“I’m not sure? It’s more like a phantom pain, if that makes sense.”

Kihyun nodded. “Makes perfect sense. I’ll give you mild pain reliever. You’ve lost enough blood to warrant bed rest. Give it four hours and a meal and I’ll clear you for duty. Understood?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Yes, Doctor.”

“Inform me immediately if something feels strange or off. I don’t mind if you're more comfortable staying here or in your quarters, but rest means rest. Whatever plans you had with Ensign Triste will have to wait.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “Understood.” He looked around. Several of the crew were still waiting to be treated for their lacerations. “I think I’ll head back to my cabin.” He groaned, sitting up and rolling his shoulders, then his neck. A shower, a meal, and a nap. Four hours of solitude. It was almost worth the experience.

“Franco, make sure he makes it to his quarters okay.”

“Sure thing, Doctor,” the tech replied, shot in hand.

There was a quick prick at his neck. The pain reliever. He nodded his thanks to Franco. Could’ve warned a guy though. He picked up his cut shirt and sighed. This had to be the seventh shirt he lost to injury now. He put his arms through each sleeve like a button-up. He was the captain. He couldn’t walk around half naked.

“Captain.”

Hyunwoo turned around.

Kihyun stood on the other side of the biobed with serious eyes. “Thank you.”

Hyunwoo gave him a half smile. “It’s my job.”

As he was leaving sick bay, he heard Kihyun calling orders. “Ensign Aycock! You’re up.”

—————————————————————————————————

Hyunwoo was lying on his couch watching some vintage action flick from 2014 when his door chimed. “Enter.”

“Captain?” Kihyun approached. “You didn’t come by to be cleared like I thought you would. It’s been six hours. Are you okay?”

Hyunwoo smiled. Kihyun could have asked him through comms, but came down in person. His blond hair was slightly darker, damp from a recent shower. He looked tired. He was in standard issue lounge clothes. It immediately told him Kihyun must be exhausted because he had nothing pleasant to say about Starfleet-issued clothing.

He felt a little guilty. Hyunwoo had only recently woken from a three hour nap.

He drew one knee up and let his other leg fall to the floor, freeing the last cushion on the couch. “Fine. Hoseok all but ordered me to take the night. Said if a leaf was all it took to take me down, I was probably not getting enough rest.”

Kihyun frowned, taking a seat on the coffee table in front him instead of the couch. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

“What are you talking about? It’s not your fault.”

“I froze, and you got hurt. What if it was your neck? You wouldn’t be here right now.”

Hyunwoo straightened from his relaxed lounge. “Whoa. Kihyun. You didn’t do anything wrong. What is this?”

“I did. You told me to get behind you and I didn’t. You had to put yourself in harm’s way because I was an idiot.”

“That’s my job, protecting this crew. Just like it’s your job to patch me up, which you did.”

Kihyun shook his head. “You gave me an order, and I didn’t listen.”

“You were scared,” Hyunwoo corrected. “That’s different.”

“Exactly. I walked into a dangerous situation, even saw the birds get hacked by the leaves, and stood there like a fool. I let you walk right into it.”

What the fuck was going on here? Hyunwoo watched Kihyun blink his eyes rapidly, holding tears at bay.

Kihyun suddenly shook himself and sniffed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to do this. I only wanted to check your stats.” He pulled a medical tricorder from his kit. “May I?”

Hyunwoo nodded, understanding. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and laid it on the armrest. He let Kihyun run it over him and watched how he became more himself in the routine of it all. He turned it off and returned it to the kit. “Pain?”

“None,” Hyunwoo said.

“You ate?” 

Hyunwoo’s brows drew together. Kihyun seemed uncomfortable now after being so vulnerable.

“Like a king.” He tried to lighten the mood.

Kihyun nodded and moved to stand. Hyunwoo took his hand to keep him seated. “Kihyun, I’m fine. You’re fine. Everybody is fine. You did that. Even Shrier is fine. Hell, he gets to wear a cool eye patch for a few days. You’re not going to blame yourself for that too, are you?”

“No. I blame myself for you. You were right. I don’t follow orders and somebody got hurt.”

“Are we gonna go around this circle again? You were scared, and you froze. It’s okay. Murderous leaves? That’s pretty fucked up. I get it. I don’t blame you. Come on, this hardly qualifies as a blip on the long list of life-threatening injuries you’ve treated me for.”

Holy shit, Kihyun looked miserable. He was torturing himself over this. Hyunwoo honestly couldn’t understand it. “What’s going on? Hm?”

“I always do this. At the hotel, the elevator, today, the deck.”

“What do you mean? Always do what?”

“Just stand there and let it happen,” Kihyun choked out.

“I find that hard to believe. You’re brave to the point of stupidity. Hours ago, you wanted to go explore caves and submerge yourself in alien waters to see the shiny lights at the bottom.”

Kihyun swallowed.

“You think you’re the first person to freeze in the line of danger? Take a number. Ask any one of our soldiers and they’ll tell you, it’s happened to them before, too.”

“But they learned from it. Moved on and they don’t do it anymore.”

“Perhaps. After constant, repeated exercises and experiences. Kihyun, you’re not a soldier. Constant exposure to dangerous situations is not a thing I want you to experience.”

“Maybe I should.”

“Kihyun, no.”

“I don’t want to be the reason somebody dies next time. You could have died. Minho could have died. Jefferson did die.”

“Jefferson was a criminal and deserved what he got.”

Kihyun shook his head. “You can’t say that to me. I’m a doctor. All life is precious. Even his. He was a human being and if I wasn’t so stupid and then so scared, he would probably be alive, but I froze and let him do what he wanted.”

Hyunwoo’s ears rang thinking about it. He suspected as much, but it was different to hear it from Kihyun’s lips. He breathed through the rising anger as sickening images shuffled before his eyes. Kihyun was handcuffed and at the mercy of a sick man larger than Hyunwoo. What could he possibly think he could have done?

He remembered thinking how he wanted to lift the veil of naivete from those on this ship and realized when it came to Kihyun, he needn’t bother. It had been done for him already. Still, at the end of the day, that wasn’t what had Kihyun so upset.

“I wish I knew what to say to stop you from hating yourself over this. I said it to you your first night back. You’re strong. I stand by those words. I don’t say things if I don’t mean them. Being scared is not a shortcoming. Freezing is not a shortcoming. They are faultless and natural reactions. You wouldn’t have blamed someone else for freezing. Can’t you see what you’re doing? You’re holding yourself up to impossible, unrealistic expectations. You’re only human.”

Kihyun looked up at him.

“And one-fourth Bemonian,” he amended. “You are not on this ship to be a superhero. You’re here to keep us healthy and so I can brag about your latest research.”

Kihyun smiled.

“For the love of god, please don’t let that fall.”

Kihyun smiled a little wider.

“I was having a really good night until you came in here crying.”

“Sorry,” Kihyun apologized.

Hyunwoo sighed. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to watch this movie now. I’ll be too worried you’ll be beating yourself up in your quarters. You’re just going to have to stay here and watch it with me. It’s only fair.”

Kihyun looked over his shoulder at the paused screen. His lip lifted in mild disdain. “What is that?”

“Your punishment for punishing yourself,” Hyunwoo stated. “If you complain, I’ll make you stay for the sequel.”

“I have work to do.”

“Not anymore. Captain’s orders.”

“You’re not acting captain right now.”

“Are you fighting with me right now, Kihyun?”

Kihyun’s face fell, shocked. “No.”

“Flirting?”

Kihyun’s mouth fell open. “No.”

“Well, it’s gotta be one of them. Either way, you’re vying for my attention.”

Kihyun worked to keep his mouth from falling further. He silently moved from the coffee table to the cushion beside Hyunwoo. “What is it about?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “I’ll start it from the beginning. Wouldn’t want you to miss any of it.” He enjoyed how Kihyun’s lip lifted in disdain once again.

“That’s not necessary.”

“It’s only fifteen minutes.” Hyunwoo took it back to the credits and left for the kitchen. He poured a glass of ice water for Kihyun and himself and brought them back to the coffee table.

“Thank you.” Kihyun drank half of it before setting it back on the coaster. He side-eyed Hyunwoo. It was going to be really hard to concentrate with all that skin at his side. “You can put your shirt back on.”

“Can I?”

Kihyun returned his eyes to the screen. “Whatever. Your house, your rules.”

“Are you proposing a game?”

Kihyun blushed. “No.” He stared at the screen, enraptured by the opening credits.

Hyunwoo grinned, sipping his water and watching Kihyun glare at the screen.

“Movie’s up there,” Kihyun informed.

“Already seen this part,” Hyunwoo answered lazily.

“What’s your point? You’ve already seen me, too.”

“Have I? It’s been so long. You know, sometimes I lay awake at night trying to recall the exact shade of your nipples.”

Kihyun’s head snapped to him. “Are you on something?” Kihyun didn’t know what it said about him that his nipples started tingling.

Hyunwoo nodded to the screen. “It’s starting.”

With one last incredulous look at Hyunwoo, he moved his eyes back to the movie.

Reluctantly, Kihyun found himself becoming engaged in the movie. He might be a doctor, but when John’s dog was killed, he was outraged and vehemently stood behind every man’s brutal murder.

He found himself equally engaged by Hyunwoo, who confidently moved his arm to the back of the couch behind Kihyun. Kihyun may have moved the tiniest bit closer when he reached for water a few minutes later.

Hyunwoo smelled clean and warm at his side. When he turned his face away during a particularly violent scene, he came face to face with Hyunwoo’s armpit and froze. It definitely wasn’t out of fear. He was transfixed, a primal urge lighting up his veins. He had a peculiar relationship with scent. He expressed himself through scent and identified and catalogued others through scent. Then there was the simple fact that men smelled so fucking good to him.

He realized Hyunwoo was looking down at him while Kihyun was battling himself not to bury his nose in there. He absolutely should not do that. It wasn’t polite. On the other hand, Hyunwoo wasn’t saying anything at Kihyun’s bizarre behavior. The sounds of pained groans and snapping bones told him it made sense to stay here. In the end, he compromised. Breathing in as deeply, but discreetly as possible. It was his undoing and, before he knew it, he leaned in to breathe him fully, nose touching the dark hair underneath.

Hyunwoo groaned. “Thank God,” he cried, sounding pained. “Come here.”

Kihyun stubbornly nosed all the way in, smelling him, resisting Hyunwoo’s hands urging his face upward.

Hyunwoo laughed. “Come here.” He pulled more firmly until Kihyun relented, coming out and gazing at him from a few inches away. “Say you want this. I need to hear it.”

“I want it.”

“Kiss me,” Hyunwoo ordered.

Kihyun slowly moved forward until their lips almost touched. The magnitude of closing the distance wasn’t lost on Kihyun and it stilled him. This meant a lot. Hyunwoo meant a lot. He wanted to cherish this moment more than any other they shared in the past.

His eyes closed and his hands held Hyunwoo’s face. He moved forward ever so slightly to swipe his lips across Hyunwoo’s in the barest of glides. It wasn’t a kiss, more of a touch, but it left Kihyun gutted. He struggled to regulate his breathing and touched their lips together again in a barely there touch and stayed. He finally managed a light kiss, repeating it over and over again like a mantra. When Hyunwoo’s arms pulled him in, Kihyun almost cried.

“Kiss me,” Hyunwoo challenged. Kihyun’s proximity alone was sending his blood south, but he needed more.

This time when Kihyun moved his lips over his, his tongue licked out against him and on the next time, Hyunwoo met his readily, but briefly, Kihyun still intent on gifting him with whisper-like kisses.

It wasn’t until Hyunwoo’s hands moved under Kihyun’s sweatshirt he was able to elicit anything deeper from the man.

Soft lips opened on a gasp as fingers ghosted up his ribs. Kihyun’s tongue darted out then dragged across his in a slow, dirty slide. He got into the filthy rhythm of it, hands leaving the sides of his face to grip his shoulders and slide down his arms, squeezing his biceps hungrily.

Hyunwoo pulled Kihyun to straddle him, breaking the kiss. Blue eyes fluttered open, staring at him. They surprised Hyunwoo, but he didn’t mention it, closing the distance once again.

Kihyun kissed him so gently, so sweetly. It struck Hyunwoo dumb. It was...loving, tender and, quite honestly, not something he was used to. He tried to remember if he’d ever been kissed like this before and he came up blank. He was being drugged by the mildest kisses and it left him raw. Seconds ago, he was ready to feed his hunger, to take and give what they’ve both been needing for the past eight months. Now, fingers lay light and warm on the sides of face, keeping him still to receive each soft kiss Kihyun bestowed on him and he let this angel feed a hunger he never knew he had. It was almost spiritual.

However, having Kihyun on his thighs had him thickening. He was struggling, torn between the tingling in his chest as sweet lips moved over his and the proximity of that sweet ass on his lap, awakening his desperate cock.

 _Again._ Over eight months. It was a long fucking time. A personal record by far.

Hyunwoo continued his exploration of soft, warm skin under his hands, running them from waist to back, loving the responding shudders his fingers provoked. 

He grazed thumbs over sensitive nipples. Kihyun's mouth went still over his, focused on the arousing sensation. A whined hum vibrated against his lips as thighs squeezed at his sides.

Hyunwoo kissed him. “Feels good?” he asked, scraping the blunt thumbnails over the little nubs.

He was rewarded with a shocked grunt and reflexive thrust forward. Hyunwoo grinned and nibbled at Kihyun's neck. His little hair-triggered...boyfriend?

He trailed hands past his sides and to his ass, gripping and pulling Kihyun's groin flush against him. “Are we doing this?”

Kihyun nodded, leaning in to deliver more stupidly soft kisses.

Hyunwoo received and returned them patiently for all of thirty seconds before gently pushing Kihyun off his lap. It would be a mistake not to talk about this. His heart, mind and cock couldn’t take anymore misunderstandings.

Hyunwoo’s mouth lifted in a half-smile. The doctor was nervous. He angled his body towards Kihyun, resting his left arm over the back of the couch. “Would you get comfortable? You look like your ten seconds away from running out the door.”

Kihyun blinked. He did? He turned his body towards Hyunwoo and pulled his legs up at his side. He looked to the side and pressed his lips together. He really should have thought about what to say over the past eight months. How did he get what he wanted without showing all his cards?

Hyunwoo chuckled. Looks like he’d need to make the first move. “I’ve liked you for a long time.” He watched Kihyun lift brown eyes to his.

“I want to assure you this isn’t about having someone in my bed while we’re gone. You’ve always had my attention even if I didn’t let you know it. A part of me regrets that, but that’s my fault. You’re smart, passionate, sweet, beautiful. I’m not suggesting we dive into something head first, shack up and not look back, but I want you in my life, by my side. I want to comfort and make you feel good. Is there any part of you that agrees?”

Kihyun may have stopped breathing, afraid to miss a word. He inhaled softly and nodded.

Hyunwoo smiled, amused. “You going to make me do all the work here?”

Kihyun bit down on his returning smile. “I feel the same.”

“I feel the same?” Hyunwoo teased. “I don’t get any wooing?”

His cheeks darkened. Endorphins were already flooding his system from Hyunwoo’s words. “I...” Kihyun cringed. “This feels like we’re exchanging wedding vows. It’s awkward.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “Come on. Romance me a little. Make me feel special.” He would never tire of teasing this man.

Kihyun sighed. “I’ve admired you since we first met.”

Hyunwoo scooted a little further. “Do tell.”

“You’re impressive.”

Hyunwoo inched forward a little more until his leg touched Kihyun’s bent knees and his face hovered mere inches from Kihyun’s. His little intake of breath did wonders for Hyunwoo. “Impressive?”

Kihyun’s eyes fell to his lips. He licked his own in want. “Y-You’re confident and worldly. You have these principles that never waver. You're always so strong and sure of everything you do. It's reassuring and comforting. You’re as much of a shelter as this ship and this ship is my home.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes squinted merrily. He thought Kihyun would travel down a different path with ‘impressive,’ but this was far better. Revealing. He watched Kihyun’s brow furrow as though just realizing what he said. Hyunwoo kissed the wrinkle. “Thank you,” he murmured into his skin.

He pulled back and transferred to the coffee table so he could sit directly in front of Kihyun. His legs splayed wide and he leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. This was where things became a little unromantic, but it had to be done. “As much as I would love to nuzzle you into oblivion right now, we need to set some ground rules.” Kihyun appeared to be berating himself into oblivion right now.

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo said.

The change in tone immediately brought Kihyun’s eyes up to him. “Capt-? Yes?”

“This isn’t the same as dating Ensign Wilder from Helms or Lieutenant Emrys from Science.”

Kihyun tensed. Hyunwoo somehow listed two men he absolutely noticed on a physical level since he joined the Newton. How the hell did he know?

Hyunwoo continued. “There are restrictions or, more aptly, I have restrictions.”

Kihyun looked at him, waiting.

“Public displays of affection? No.”

“Okay. I mean, yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo smiled. “I’m not in uniform. Hyunwoo is fine. However, there will be times I am your Captain even in here. I trust you’re smart enough to know the difference?”

“Yes.”

“Now, I have no intention of keeping this a secret. However, for the time being, we may want to keep this under wraps outside of friends. You may find dating the Captain to be trying or not all its cut out to be.”

“I won’t,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo smiled again. “You may. I don’t mean to downplay anyone else’s role or importance on the ship. Everyone is essential and valued, but I am easily the busiest person on this vessel. That is the captain’s privilege. I may not always have time to give you.”

“I understand.”

“We do not talk about private things outside and we most definitely do not engage in fights of a personal nature outside.”

Kihyun nodded.

“Additionally, I beg you to be aware of the difference between us as us and us as Chief Medical Officer and Captain. I believe you are well aware of the issues I take when it comes to you and that doesn’t change. You don’t get a free pass.”

“I wouldn’t expect it.”

“If anything, I will become stricter.”

Kihyun discreetly gulped.

Hyunwoo sighed. “I feel like there is probably more, but that wet spot on your sweatpants is clouding my thoughts.”

“Should I take it off?” Kihyun asked.

Hyunwoo grinned and Kihyun took that as an answer, pulling his sweater up his body. He dropped the sweater on the couch and stood up in the splay of his legs, tilting Hyunwoo’s head upwards with soft fingers. The doctor smiled sweetly down at him and lowered his head.

Hyunwoo allowed one, brief kiss before standing up and breaking it. He stepped back and ran his eyes down Kihyun’s frame. He took another step back and sat on the arm of a chair. “Take your pants off.”

Kihyun’s breath hitched. Talking was most definitely over.

Hyunwoo watched Kihyun tip each leg up behind him to unhook each sock and let them fall to the ground.

“Eyes on me.”

“So bossy,” Kihyun muttered. His eyes traveled from his waistband up to Hyunwoo and he untied the string.

“It’s it my blood. Get used to it.”

Hyunwoo follow the progress of his thumbs sliding beneath the waistband. The doctor’s quickened breaths were visible on his belly.

“What are you waiting for?” Hyunwoo tipped his eyes back up to Kihyun’s.

Kihyun swallowed and shimmied the pants down his hips. They fell to the floor and stepped out of them, moving to stand before Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo smiled. He was wearing thin baby blue cheekies, the bottom of his cute ass peaking out.

“Hyunwoo...” Kihyun didn’t know if we was done giving orders or not, but he felt erratic. Standing still for Hyunwoo’s perusal was proving difficult. He needed to be touched or to touch him.

Hyunwoo hooked a finger just under the leg of the cheeky, feeing the material between his forefinger and thumb. Kihyun jerked and Hyunwoo smiled to himself. They felt and looked expensive, pretty much like everything else the man owned. His very own spoiled prince. “What do you want tonight?”

“I don't want to play around. I want you in me tonight. No teasing.”

“Now who’s bossy?” Hyunwoo’s lips stretched at one side in mild disappointment. No teasing? That was easily his favorite thing to do with him, to do _to_ him. He could see in Kihyun's expression he meant it though, desperation and need looking back at him. He had to remind himself how long it'd been since Kihyun had been properly fucked. His frustration was understandable.

Hyunwoo smiled reassuringly. “Want to see my bedroom?”

“Yes,” Kihyun breathed.

Hyunwoo nodded his head to the stairs. “After you,” he offered. Watching Kihyun's pert behind ascend his stairs wasn't something he wanted to miss.

Kihyun pulled him up from the armrest and turned to the stairs, pulling his hand from behind. When the man reached the stairs, he dropped his hand in favor of the railing and stepped up.

Hyunwoo wasn't disappointed by the view. Kihyun's ass swayed and flexed naturally with each step. The line of his back and his trim waist moved gracefully above him. Slender muscles worked in his calves and thighs. He knew those legs would stretch and bend any way he wanted them to. Although, Hyunwoo noticed, they carried the rest of his perfect body far more slowly than he would have expected for someone wanting to get right to it. In fact...

“Doing alright there, babe?” he asked, bemused.

Hyunwoo watched Kihyun's hand tighten on the railing and speed up. “Mm-hmm.”

Kihyun, for one, was glad Hyunwoo couldn't see his face just yet. He felt Hyunwoo’s stare on him like a caress, each step up leaving him hornier than the stair below. When he stepped into the loft he looked down. He was embarrassed to be as wet as he was right now, has hard cock trapped behind sopping underwear.

A solid frame connected to his back as strong hands came to cover his stomach. His head tilted back to rest against the broad shoulder behind him as those hands roamed over his ribs and belly. His torso went taut with pleasure and quivered when Hyunwoo swiped his fingers across his navel.

“Can you spend the night?” Hyunwoo asked.

“If you want me to,” Kihyun said, uncertain.

“Why do you think I asked?” Hyunwoo moved away from him and to a dresser on a sidewall, where he squatted down and pulled open the bottom drawer. 

Kihyun moved forward and placed a hand on Hyunwoo’s comforter. It was a handsome bed, large, with a warm brown comforter and dark wood paneling. The loft wasn’t large, not like downstairs, but it had the essentials: a dresser, a desk, sidetable. There was a cracked door which Kihyun assumed was the master bath. It was tidy and smart, exactly what you’d think the bedroom of a captain and the son of two generals would look like.

Hyunwoo came to the side of the bed and swung the comforter down to the end where Kihyun stood. He layered three towels over the crisp, white sheets and Kihyun promptly turned crimson. 

Hyunwoo grinned at him. “Don’t be embarrassed. If you don’t make a mess tonight, I’ll be insulted. I did buy several sets of sheets, but they’ve been sitting in my closet and haven’t been washed yet.”

Something about that touched Kihyun on a deep level. “You bought sheets...for me?”

“Mmm,” Hyunwoo confirmed, smoothing them out. “When things were looking up after Terlesia, but before the night that shalt not be named.” He straightened and sobered at that, walking around the corner of the bed to Kihyun. He carded his fingers through Kihyun’s hair.

“Thank you... for giving us a shot. I know it’s not entirely fair to you.” He dropped a kiss on his head.

Kihyun looked up at him. He knew Hyunwoo was referring to the lack of transparency between them. It wasn’t fair, he agreed. There was a side of Hyunwoo he didn’t know, wasn’t allowed to know. However, his heart was too invested in this man to walk away. 

Kihyun licked his lips. “Be patient with me?” he asked for understanding.

Hyunwoo answered him with a smile, descending to press his lips against his own.

Kihyun felt it like a tidal wave through his blood. He gasped into Hyunwoo’s mouth. He couldn’t wait any longer and pulled back. Shaking hands grappled at Hyunwoo’s gym shorts.

Hyunwoo’s hands came over his own and stilled them. “Lay down.”

He licked the corner of his mouth, acknowledging that he was a little out of control. He swallowed and took a deep breath in, nodding. “Okay.”

Not taking his eyes off Hyunwoo, he moved backwards onto the bed and settled on the sheets. The anticipation alone hastened his leaking, and he centered himself over the towels waiting for Hyunwoo to join him.

The captain hooked his thumbs under the shorts, running his eyes up Kihyun’s legs and stopping on his wet underwear. After pushing them over his hips, they dropped. He stepped out of them and directly crawled onto the bed and over the form who finally laid his head down at his proximity.

Hyunwoo followed his head down and kissed him with purpose. Kihyun returned his every kiss tenfold, gripping his short hair to pull him closer. As if closer was possible. Every point of contact against his skin left him burning. He needed this so much.

Hyunwoo pulled away on a gasp. He tilted his head regarding Kihyun warily and licked his lips. Sitting up between Kihyun’s legs, he hooked his fingers under the cheekies and pulled them down. 

“Lift for me.”

Kihyun lifted his legs in the air and Hyunwoo pulled them off, throwing them blindly across the room. The legs lowered on either side of him until the soles of his feet met the sheets.

Hyunwoo didn’t waste anytime and took Kihyun’s leaking cock in hand, pumping him solidly.

Kihyun whined. Hyunwoo’s hand squelched as it twisted along the slick, modest length of him.

“Do you like a lot of prep?”

‘What?’ Kihyun was feeling too good to listen, let alone respond.

The hand on his cock switched, and he felt wet fingers glide down to his pucker. That brought him to the surface again. He looked at Hyunwoo, spreading his legs wider. They shook slightly. The way Hyunwoo circled his rim left him thrusting into Hyunwoo’s capable grip.

Thankfully, Hyunwoo didn’t waste too much time teasing his rim and he slipped a finger inside. 

“Yes,” Kihyun whispered, spreading his legs even wider.

Hyunwoo fucked the finger into him and Kihyun hummed with pleasure until he suddenly pulled out. He bit back a retort, realizing Hyunwoo left to get lube from his dresser.

Kihyun turned onto his front and lifted up on his elbows and knees. _Finally._ There was no way he'd survive any toe-curling detours tonight. He was so grateful Hyunwoo wasn't going to play around. He just needed to be filled, to be stuffed with that cock. Steady drops hit the towels underneath him.

The bed dipped behind him. Hyunwoo didn't even touch him. He heard the uncapping of the bottle then felt the liquid fall directly onto his hole, sliding down his perineum to the back of his balls. Before he could finish the resulting shudder, Hyunwoo's finger was back inside of him, quickly followed by another.

Kihyun took in a deep breath, lifting his head up from its down-turned position. He spread his legs wider still, he couldn't help but want more and when Hyunwoo finally added a third finger, he cried out.

“Okay?”

The stretch was uncomfortable, but nice. He pushed up to his hands and canted his hips toward the movement of his fingers.

“I'm trusting you to tell me when you're ready.”

“Ready,” Kihyun shot back instantly, dislodging Hyunwoo's fingers and turning around. His lips smashed against Hyunwoo's while his hands slipped under his black briefs, smoothing over his muscular backside. Snaking a hand around to his front, he encircled Hyunwoo’s cock, pulling it free from the confines of the underwear.

“Can I?” Kihyun asked, tugging.

Hyunwoo inclined his head. “Yes.” He removed them and flung them in same direction of Kihyun’s wet panties.

“Lay back.” Kihyun tapped at his chest and Hyunwoo fell to the bed, propping himself up on his elbows.

Kihyun settled in between his muscular legs, lowering himself and taking the cock back in hand. His mouth watered. How many times had he thought of doing this? He looked up at Hyunwoo and opened his mouth over his head. 

“Mm,” Kihyun sucked, stroking his hand up the length. He cupped his balls with his other hand. Pulling off and licking down the side of him, he looked up at Hyunwoo, his tanned face tinged pink as he licked his lips and watched. Kihyun licked back up and stretched his lips wide over the thickening cock then worked his head over him.

Hyunwoo groaned. “Baby,” he laughed.

Kihyun grew increasingly eager the more his cock swelled and hardened inside his mouth. His spit slicked lips pulled off with a gasp and moved down to his balls and taking one into his mouth completely before switching to the other. Kihyun’s hand tugged at his solid length as he moved from his belly to his knees in order to wrap a hand around his own cock. It streamed pre-cum onto the sheets, but Kihyun didn’t have the mind frame to feel guilty about it at the moment. Releasing a ball from the suction of his mouth, Kihyun took his member back into his mouth and went down as far as he could go. He pushed himself too far and gagged, but didn’t pull off, trying it again.

This was easily the most beautiful cock he’d ever had the pleasure of sucking. Dongwook’s was nice and long, but Hyunwoo matched that length and was so fucking fat. He was going to be stretched wide tonight and he moaned around the turgid length in his mouth.

Hyunwoo growled, sitting up and pulling Kihyun to him from the back of his hand and underarm. He ravaged his swollen lips and pushed him down on to the bed, hiking his legs at his sides as Hyunwoo settled in between them. 

Hyunwoo guided his cock to Kihyun’s hole. His pale torso heaved in wait, hard cock dripping onto his stomach like melted wax.

“Kihyun, relax. Breathe.”

It was hard, but Kihyun breathed deeply, relaxing his muscles and anus. Breaching the ring, they both groaned.

Fuuuuck. Kihyun panted. The stretch was daunting and straining and perfect. He turned to the side and bit his wrist.

“Relax,” Hyunwoo reminded, easing forward slowly and gently.

When he bottomed out, Kihyun opened his clenched eyes and saw Hyunwoo was sweating, his head hung low.

“I wasn’t going to say it,” Kihyun said, sounding like he had the air punched out of him.

Hyunwoo was huffing over him. “Say what?”

He weakly punched Hyunwoo’s bicep. “You’re so big.” He laughed at himself and then groaned as it caused it him to tighten around the cock inside him.

Hyunwoo huffed, then took Kihyun’s legs below the knee. He pushed them to Kihyun’s sides and moved.

A mortifyingly whorish sound passed his lips. “Ah, fuck,” he whimpered. He felt like he was split wide open and Hyunwoo didn’t hold back, taking what he wanted, as fast and as deep as wanted.

Kihyun did his best not to blow his load already. Precum slid from his tummy down his side and onto the towels. The thickness inside him ensured _everything_ was getting rubbed. This was easily the most intense fucking of his life, a deep-tissue massage his ass was unprepared for. His cock contracted and he took it in hand, squeezing hard. 

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun pleaded. “Please, I don’t want to come yet.”

Hyunwoo rolled them until Kihyun was straddling him, still impaled on his cock. “You’re in charge, doctor.”

Kihyun shakily placed his hands on Hyunwoo’s thighs behind him and lifted himself. He dropped back down and cried, squeezing around Hyunwoo’s thick cock.

“Babe,” Hyunwoo grit out. “Move. Please.”

Kihyun shuddered and lifted up again, dropping down. He grunted. His legs couldn’t do this right. His moved his hands to Hyunwoo’s ribs and leaned forward, starting a slow and shallow rhythm.

Hyunwoo grunted underneath him and Kihyun could tell he wanted to hold him in place and piston up into him. He wasn’t going fast enough for Hyunwoo. He wasn’t even going fast enough for himself, like he didn’t have control over his body, the sensation of everything too much for him.

Grimacing, Kihyun picked up the pace, pulling himself further up Hyunwoo’s cock before sliding back down. He managed a whole minute before dropping down in defeat. His legs were shaking too badly. 

Hyunwoo lifted an amused brow. “Am I boring you?”

Kihyun glared and tried to pick himself back up again, but he wobbled and stopped.

“Or are you so that out of shape you can’t even fuck properly?” he added.

Kihyun clenched around him as hard as he could.

Hyunwoo chuckled on an exhale, squeezing his eyes closed and biting his lip. He opened his eyes and regarded Kihyun fondly, taking him by the hips and lifting him off. He rolled out from underneath Kihyun stood up at the side of the bed, taking Kihyun by the ankles and dragging him until his buttocks reached the end of the mattress.

“Spread’em wide, Kitten.”

Kihyun held his trembling legs out wide at his sides and his stomach chose that moment to grumble loud enough to be heard anywhere in the cabin. He looked to the side in mortification. Way to show Hyunwoo what he’s been missing.

Hyunwoo looked at his shaking legs and slick-covered torso and groin. “You are a mess in every sense of the word,” he said, then drove deep inside of him.

Kihyun cried out.

Hyunwoo pulled all the way out. “Out of shape.” He plowed forward hard and withdrew once again, leaving him empty.

“Can’t feed yourself.” He punched forward again and pulled out. Kihyun whined desperately.

“Literally soiling the only clean set of sheets I have.” Hyunwoo stabbed in deeply and stayed rooted. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Fuck me, dammit,” Kihyun bit out, squirming on him.

“Admit it. You need me to take care of you.”

“Fuck! God, yes! Just move.”

Hyunwoo smiled, pulling back then driving home, setting an unyielding, energetic pace. “You’re going to come on my cock. Then, even if you feel you can’t, I’m going to make you come again. I’m gonna plow your sweet little hole til it’s gaping.”

Kihyun whined, letting go of his legs and gripping the sheets. Jesus Christ. He was so fucking full. Hyunwoo grunted above him, chest and neck glistening with sweat. If Kihyun had a brain right now, he’d lick it off him.

Hyunwoo lifted a leg and braced a foot under the mattress, then grabbed Kihyun’s leg and pulled it up past his hip, tilting Kihyun’s midsection and ass slightly to the side.

Kihyun’s eyes widened as his mouth opened in silent bliss. Hyunwoo’s cock put more pressure on his sweet spot like this, rubbing harder against it. 

“Come on. You know you need to,” Hyunwoo encouraged, pumping into him.

Kihyun’s couldn’t control it, a few more hits and he shattered apart on a low shout, shooting onto his chest. Hyunwoo, the jerk, didn’t stop, and Kihyun thought he might die until Hyunwoo finally pulled out.

Hyunwoo swiped a couple fingers through his mess and brought them to his mouth. With a wry smile, he pushed them past his lips and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he gave Kihyun a promising stare while beating his own cock. “Tomorrow, I’m going to swallow you whole. Your pretty dick and balls will fit in my mouth entirely, don’t you think? You won’t have a chance to wet yourself and make a mess. Lick and suck you until your poor tired body can’t make anymore. Then, I’m going to lick this hole I’ve stretched loose until you’re clenching around my tongue and screaming my name.”

Kihyun didn’t doubt it. Fingers ran through the mess again and swiped across his lips. He licked them, tasting himself and then Hyunwoo’s fingers as they moved between his lips. 

Hyunwoo smiled, pleased, then without preamble, pulled Kihyun down the bed even further until his ass was floating, bent his legs until his knees were pressed into the mattress by his ears, and buried himself to the hilt inside him.

Kihyun groaned sharply, looking up at Hyunwoo as he started to move slow and deep. Why did he think he would somehow have any modicum of control tonight? He was a fucking rag-doll. He wanted to be the one to leave him trembling, but Hyunwoo overwhelmed him in every sense of the word.

Hyunwoo picked up the pace, rabbiting into him.

Kihyun’s mouth dropped open. _Shit!_ He looked up at Hyunwoo and held onto his wrists. He was so strong above him, muscles working under a sheen of sweat. It was too much, but in the best way possible. 

“You’re glaring at me,” Hyunwoo noted, amused, and opted for slower, deep movements.

He was? Probably had something to do with his hole becoming a punching bag for his fat, obtrusive cock.

Hyunwoo chuckled.

‘Crap. He did not say that out loud, did he?’

“Hold your legs. Keep them there.” He raised a brow. “I’m sorry to inform you this has been a warmup. Did you think you were getting off easy? That orgasm was a mercy because I happen to like you quite a bit, but now I have almost three years of thinking about this to work out of my system, since the day you interviewed, so smugly confident you already had the job. You’ve been provoking me since day one. It’s time to pay the piper, kid.”

Kihyun wrapped an arm around each leg. Okay, being a rag doll was exciting.

“And, when it gets rough, because it will, it’s because I generally thought of fucking you every time you opened those disrespectful lips and mouthed off.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo’s lips lifted at the side. “That’s not going to help you now, Kitten.”

Kihyun’s stomach clenched.

Hyunwoo stroked a hand down his chest and stomach. He took hold of his dick and stroked it between his thumb and forefinger. “Does that excite you, baby?”

Kihyun squirmed. “Yes,” he breathed.

“Tell me why.”

Hyunwoo massaged Kihyun’s dick in his hand. “Kihyun,” he said sternly. He was trying to keep Kihyun as engaged as possible. Earlier, at times, it felt like Kihyun was slipping away to some far off place.

“I like everything you do to me.” Kihyun shivered. It was hard to concentrate with a big cock shoved up his ass.

Hyunwoo didn’t press him any further and fucked him. Once Hyunwoo found the best grip on his hips, he began an awe-inspiring marathon of pounding that left Kihyun trying to remember how to breathe. He was most definitely interested again, leaking weakly onto his tummy.

Kihyun loved the way Hyunwoo grunted and groaned over him, face red with exertion. Loved the way he moaned whenever he slowed for a moment to exaggeratedly roll his hips until Kihyun was moaning with him.

Hyunwoo flipped him over and the second Kihyun’s feet hit the floor, he buried his cock inside him again and snapped his hips forward in a relentless drive.

Kihyun shouted. He felt even fuller in this position. He was going to come again, real soon if Hyunwoo didn’t slow down. His legs were trembling.

Hyunwoo stopped, pulling out. “Spread your cheeks for me,” he ordered.

Kihyun whimpered, letting go of the sheet fisted in his hands and bringing them behind him to pull cheeks apart.

Hyunwoo looked down at the winking hole then up his flushed body. He was getting too close a moment before and wanted enjoy this a little longer. He ran a hand up his back. Couldn’t believe he was blessed enough to give and take pleasure from this body, this man.

He placed the back of his hand on Kihyun’s forehead. “You’re burning up.” Kihyun’s body was almost as heated as it was the night of the wine. His hole was so fucking hot around him, it drove him into a frenzy. He hoped he wasn’t being too aggressive with him. It’s been, what...two years for Kihyun?

“-is normal,” Kihyun said, partially muffled by the mattress.

“Doing okay?” Hyunwoo curled over him, kissing him at the awkward angle and sneaking a hand underneath to tug at his cock. 

Kihyun gasped, humping into his hand. It had the simultaneous advantage of bumping his ass into Hyunwoo’s cock. Hyunwoo shifted his feet to angle his cock better and stepped right into the puddle below Kihyun. Hyunwoo buried his face into Kihyun’s neck, a disbelieving groan rumbling into the soft skin. “You are so fucking sexy.”

Kihyun finished the job for him, getting up on his tippy toes and wiggling his hole against his head until it gave way and Hyunwoo sunk back inside.

“Hyunwoo, please. I need it.”

Hyunwoo lifted from his back and finished the slide. Instead of thrusting, he took hold of Kihyun’s hips and moved him on his cock.

“Oh, god!” Kihyun quit spreading his ass to find purchase on the bed or he would have toppled over on his toes. In truth, his prostate was uncomfortably sensitive right now, but the feeling of fullness and the spark tingling at his rim, emanating outwards from the constant massage of Hyunwoo’s thick cock, was blurring the lines between pain and pleasure. All he knew was that his body needed to come again. He really was a rag-doll, Hyunwoo kept moving him up and down his cock. Hyunwoo was using him so well. He stripped a hand over his cock quickly, desperate for it. “Please! Come in me. Come inside me.”

At that, Hyunwoo stopped rocking Kihyun’s body over his cock and pounded into him. Deep, hard thrusts followed by fast hammering. It was making Kihyun crazy, his attempts to impale himself even further were sloppy and uncoordinated.

“Shit, Ki.” Hyunwoo wrapped his arms around his middle and curled over him again, humping erratically.

A new excitement swirled through Kihyun. Hyunwoo was getting close. The cock inside him hardening further. Kihyun whined, begging for his load. He heard Hyunwoo’s guttural yell then felt it, Hyunwoo’s cock pulsing inside him, a satisfying stickiness as Hyunwoo rode it out. His thrusts slowed to a stop and Kihyun squeezed him, still beating his own cock underneath them.

Hyunwoo tapped his hip, pulling out. He took a moment to enjoy watching his seed start to drip from his anus. He put his thumb against it. “On the bed.”

Kihyun crawled on the bed and flopped over, stroking his cock for Hyunwoo to watch.

He got between the slim legs and entered him once more.

Kihyun rolled his head to the side. “Uh, yes.” He rested his legs over Hyunwoo’s thighs.

“You like that?” Hyunwoo stole Kihyun’s cock, taking over.

Kihyun gripped Hyunwoo’s knees. “Yes!” He wasn’t even moving inside him.

“You need my cock pushing at your walls?” Hyunwoo twisted his hand over Kihyun expertly.

Kihyun bit his lip, bouncing slightly on the bed to fuck himself on it.

Hyunwoo held his balls and stripped his cock fast. “You feel my cum inside you?”

“Yes,” he panted, bouncing even more. Fuck, yes. He did. It was a lot.

He thought he heard Hyunwoo say something like get used to it, but he wasn’t sure because Hyunwoo suddenly let go of his balls to push deeply into his tummy and Kihyun came so fast, the force of it left him lightheaded. Hazy spots blurred his vision. He moaned his pleasure, moving his hips and ass in slow rolls. 

“Good boy,” Hyunwoo encouraged, milking him and rubbing the cum into his belly. When Kihyun stilled, Hyunwoo gently eased out of him. He touched his fingers to the gaping hole and Kihyun whined, more cum running out of him. “Sensitive?”

“Mm,” Kihyun replied, reaching for him.

Hyunwoo smiled and settled over him. Moving the sweaty fringe from his forehead, he kissed Kihyun’s bitten lips. “So beautiful.”

Kihyun wrapped his arms around his back, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. He pulled back after a moment. “God, I’m tired.” He smiled sleepily.

Hyunwoo moved off him to his side and propped himself up on an elbow. His eyes trailed down Kihyun’s blushed, sticky body. “Shower?”

“I don’t wanna move,” he complained, but sat up anyway.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do all the work...per usual.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened, and he smacked Hyunwoo’s chest. “Hey!”

Hyunwoo grinned, stopping Kihyun’s hand midair from landing again. He brought it to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “Am I wrong?”

“You know what? When I get used to your stupid cock, I’m going to ride you so hard you won’t remember your name. I’ll have no choice but to remove you from duty.”

Hyunwoo’s grin turned smug. “Oh, yeah? I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You better fucking prepare yourself.”

“Language. You speak to your Captain with that filthy mouth?”

“I do a lot more than that,” he sassed.

Hyunwoo swiped his thumb over Kihyun’s lips. “Careful, baby. I don’t think that ass can handle another round.”

Kihyun didn’t think it could either. Didn’t think his heart could handle the goopy postorgasmic warmth coursing through him either. He laid back down, snuggling into Hyunwoo and mouthed at his neck. “Can I tell you something?”

Hyunwoo smiled, enjoying this playful side of Kihyun. “What?” He trailed fingers down his spine.

“I have a little bit of a crush on you,” Kihyun said, burrowing into his neck.

Hyunwoo pulled back with a raised brow. “A little? I save your life, give you two orgasms, and all I get is a little crush? Not even a little, ‘a little bit’ of a crush?”

“Well, technically, I saved your life on multiple occasions,” Kihyun noted with a sly smile.

Hyunwoo pushed Kihyun down and straddled him, pinning his wrists to the bed. “Then you can imagine how I feel about you.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened ever so slightly as pink colored his face. He wasn’t expecting Hyunwoo to be so forthright with his feelings.

Hyunwoo laughed. “Really? After all that, this has you blushing? You left a puddle on my floor.”

Kihyun felt his face go beyond blushing to full on tomato. “It’s hardwood. Get over it.”

Hyunwoo squeezed Kihyun’s wrists. “You’re gonna make me work for this, aren’t you?”

“You’ll get bored, otherwise.”

Hyunwoo smiled down at him. It was probably too early on to explain he’d gladly grow old being bored with him. “Challenge accepted.”

————————————————————————————————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason I ended this chapter the way I did is because-I mean, look at the word count. Some of you are probably like, 'When is this behemoth of a story ever going to end?' This chick updates so sporadically. Some of you may have thought I was dead.
> 
> So, if you're feeling that way, you can stop here. They're together and Kihyun finally got boned. Rainbows and cotton candy. Yada, yada, yada.
> 
> However, this chick has yet to implement the initial plot I tried to start in the beginning (which, btw, is not even Ki's kidnapping) and I fully intend to make myself write it. So, I will grant showki a little honeymoon, they deserve it. Then, I'm gonna mess everything up for our fearless Captain. We love a suffering hero.


	16. Siren's Lure

Soft rustling roused Kihyun from a deep sleep. He could normally sleep through anything, but the hushed noises pulled him from the dark abyss just enough for the ache in his body to finish the job. That pleasant, if slightly achy, feeling of having been used and enjoyed.

A drawer closed nearby. Hyunwoo was up.

He turned his head towards the sound and opened an eye. “What time is it?”

Hyunwoo froze then finished pulling down his uniform, turning around. “Didn’t mean to wake you,” he apologized. “It’s 6:30. Go back to sleep.” He clipped his badge in place. “What time do you need to get up? I’ll set an alarm.”

Kihyun shook his head and sat up. “It’s time to get up anyhow.” They never made it to the shower last night, too caught up in holding each other.

Seeing Kihyun sleep-rumpled on his bed was an image he’d take to his grave. “I’m off to work. Got some catching up to do since taking the night off.” He smiled and walked to the bed, planting a kiss on his lips, then his nose, then his forehead. “Can I walk you back to your quarters?”

Kihyun pulled him forward by his uniform and smiled sleepily against his neck. Hyunwoo’s aftershave tickled his nose. The hair at the nape of Hyunwoo’s neck was wet against his forehead. “I thought I was your dirty little secret.”

Hyunwoo tickled the back of his neck then gently pulled at his earlobes, forcing his head back. He sent him a mocking glare. “It was a temporary suggestion for your benefit, you brat.”

Kihyun pushed his lips to the side in judgement. “A trial period. How romantic.”

“I’m a strategist. One should always have an exit.”

He laid back down and hooked a finger around Hyunwoo’s, coaxing him to follow. “I don’t want an exit.”

Hyunwoo bent and kissed his nose. “Who knew you were so sweet in the mornings?”

Kihyun sent him an impish grin. “Sweet enough to get you back in here?”

“Afraid not. Duty calls. Get up. I’ll walk with you to the lift. Unless you want to stay here?”

He shook his head. “I need to shower.”

“Yes, you do,” Hyunwoo agreed emphatically, taking his hand and pulling him off the bed.

Kihyun’s eyes widened and he snatched the sheet, holding it around him as his feet hit the floor.

Hyunwoo’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”

“I’m shy,” he defended, pulling the sheet up under his arms.

“A second ago, you were trying to get me back in bed,” Hyunwoo replied incredulously.

“And you said ‘no.’” Kihyun blushed.

Hyunwoo blew out a breath, lost. He shook his head. “You are far more puzzling than I ever gave you credit for.”

“I’ll dumb it down for you. No nookie, no nakie. Capeesh?”

“You are some kind of learning curve,” Hyunwoo muttered.

Kihyun wrapped the sheet more securely around him and headed for the stairs. His clothes were in the living room.

Hyunwoo bit down on a widening grin. Kihyun’s walk was...off. “Doing okay there, Kitten?”

“Oh, get over yourself. You think you’re the first man to affect my gait?”

“I’d be surprised if I was.” Hyunwoo came up behind him and picked him up, partly because he was in a hurry and partly because he didn’t want Kihyun taking the stairs if he was aching. Not that he wouldn’t have a quick fix for that once he was in his quarters or once he got to sickbay.

Kihyun wrapped his arms around Hyunwoo. “Jesus. There haven’t been that many.”

At Kihyun’s disgruntled expression, Hyunwoo chuckled. “Glad to hear it. I meant you, your ass, is enough to drive any man wild. Case in point, last night.”

Kihyun blushed and grinned smugly.

Hyunwoo deposited him at the base of the stairs none too gently, stooping down to bring his lips to Kihyun’s ear. “Get over yourself.” He slapped Kihyun’s ass through the sheet and pushed him in the direction of his clothes, still littered on the ground.

Kihyun walked to the couch and sat, picking up his sweatshirt and pulling it on. “Your bedside manner could use some work, you know.”

Hyunwoo huffed, amused, bending down by the door to put on his boots. “I think you like my bedside manner.”

“As if.”

Straightening, he walked back to Kihyun, who was pulling up his sweatpants under the sheet.

“You little liar. You confessed every dirty fantasy you had about me in the throes of passion last year. You like being at the mercy of your captain. You want to be pushed around, held down, used. I suspect you even like being humiliated and degraded a wee bit.”

Kihyun didn’t dignify that with an answer.

Hyunwoo pulled him up and dragged him to the door. “Hey, who am I to judge? We all have our kinks and your boyfriend is up for anything and everything when it comes to you.”

“Wrong shoe, babe,” Hyunwoo said when Kihyun slipped his right foot into his left slipper.

Kihyun hastily fixed his error and Hyunwoo promptly manhandled him against the door. “And, luckily for you, pushing your limits happens to be one of mine.”

Screw coffee. Kihyun was awake and ready to go. He pulled Hyunwoo closer to him and reached up on his feet to kiss him when the door opened behind him. He very nearly fell backwards.

Hyunwoo moved passed him, walking down the hall at a leisurely pace.

“What?” Kihyun said to himself, watching the doors side close. He turned around. Hyunwoo wasn’t even waiting for him. “What?” Jarring disbelief coursed through his veins like ice.

He swallowed and worked to catch up. When he did, Hyunwoo looked down at him briefly, then forward.

“There is meeting with all Senior Officers at 10:00. I expect you’ve submitted your report.”

Kihyun was dumbfounded. Talk about day and night. “Yes, Captain.”

“I'm also asking each department to send me storage specs given several different scenarios. Check your mail.”

When the hell did Hyunwoo have the time to do that? “I'll get on it, Sir.”

They walked into the turbolift. “Deck Three,” Hyunwoo commanded and pulled Kihyun in for a hug. He squeezed him, rubbing his hands over his back then smoothed his pillow head down. “It'll take some getting used to, I know.” He kissed the top of his head. “It wasn’t too rough last night, was it?” he checked.

Kihyun held onto the sides of his uniform, resting his face on his chest for the few seconds it took for the door to open on Three.

“Not at all, Captain.” Disengaging, he backed out of the lift, not really wanting to leave.

“Dr. Yoo.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Eat something.”

Kihyun's belly rumbled loudly in answer.

Hyunwoo's mouth ticked up. “Bridge.”  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Minhyuk stared at Kihyun across the cafeteria table thoughtfully. “So, uh, what gives?”

“Do you have an actual question or am I supposed to read your mind?”

“You’re happy.”

Kihyun shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah. Sure.”

“How?”

“Are you broken? What’s wrong with you?”

Minhyuk dropped his fork on the tray in disbelief. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? A) We just got out of a stupidly long meeting. That alone would be enough to fuel your usual Son-filled tirade for the rest of the day. B) We were banned from the surface in said meeting. How are you not pissed? How are you not swimming in hours of community service after hearing that? ‘Yes, Sir?’ ‘Yes, Sir?!’ I had to rub my eyes and make sure it was really you sitting next to me.”

“That is the appropriate response, is it not?”

“Appropriate, yes. Typical? No.”

Kihyun smiled prettily. “What can I say? I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“You’re glowing,” Minhyuk accused.

“I’m always glowing.”

“No. No. You’re glowing, glowing.”

“Thank you.”

Minhyuk spent the next few minutes eating chicken nuggets and furtively sneaking glances up at Kihyun. When Kihyun’s eyes traveled to a loud table closest to the cafe, Minhyuk dropped his fork again. He gasped loud enough and long enough to draw the attention of the table of engineers next to them.

Kihyun’s eyes widened, watching Minhyuk bang his palm quietly on the ledge of the table in restrained triumph.

“Oh, my God! You two totally fucked!”

At least he had the sense not to scream it, Kihyun thought. Kihyun’s answering smile was confirmation enough.

Minhyuk placed his hands over his heart. “How can you not have told me? How was it? How was _it_? Details. Now.”

“Min. I can’t.” Kihyun looked around.

“Unacceptable. I tell you every little thing. It’s your turn now. You’ve got a lot of making up to do. Come on. Who made the first move?”

Kihyun puffed out his cheeks, but raised his hand timidly.

“Yeah, you did,” Minhyuk crowed proudly. “What’d you do?”

Kihyun cringed and lowered his voice. “I sniffed him.”

Minhyuk reared back from his interested lean in judgment. “What the fuck kind of move is that? That works?”

Kihyun shrugged awkwardly. “It did last night.”

“Huh.” Minhyuk seemed to be giving that some thought, before shaking it off. “And Captain’s meat stick? What are we talking about here? What’s he packing?”

Kihyun inadvertently looked down at the fat slices of seasoned squash on his plate and turned red.

“Oh, my god. He fucking decimated you, didn’t he?” He clicked his tongue at himself. “I knew I should have gotten you the monster cocks.”

“Min!”

“Alright. Alright. That’s enough for now. But, uh, whatchya gonna do about that?” He nodded his  
head towards the table.

Kihyun grimaced. Hyunwoo, Changkyun, Hyungwon and Elon. Fucking Elon. Why’d he have to be so cute, so young? From all the way across the room, Kihyun could see how brightly he looked at Hyunwoo. Kihyun pouted. “I don’t know. I mean technically, he’s not doing anything wrong...”

“Wrong? He might as well be sitting on his lap and whispering in his ear. Nobody needs to lick their lips that much. Use a fucking napkin if you can’t get your food into your damn mouth, you know?”

Kihyun bit his lip, unwrapping the cherry popsicle on his tray. “Min. I don’t wanna be that guy.”

“What guy?”

“The jealous guy. They work together. They’re...friends, I guess, and, I mean, what does it matter? He’s mine now.”

Minhyuk eyed him speculatively. “Being the bigger person doesn’t suit you. Have I ever told you that?”

“Don’t worry. I’m only trying it on for size.” He licked at the frost-bitten tip then pressed his tongue against it, melting the icy shards.

“My advice? Give it to Hyunwoo dirty and give it to him often. And, if that doesn’t work, we can always throw the kid out the airlock.”

Kihyun grinned. “Have I told you how much I love you today?” He turned his face to the table once more and caught Hyunwoo staring at him. His eyes widened in surprise and he slowly pulled his lips off the popsicle to send him a smile. Hyunwoo’s returning smile was a little belated.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Captain?” Elon tilted his head slightly to the side. “Captain?”

Changkyun huffed. “Don’t bother Ensign. It’s Tuesday. He’s out of order.”

Elon adopted a face of innocent, wide-eyed confusion.

“Sorry, Elon? What is it?” Hyunwoo asked, turning to look at the inquisitive blond.

“I said, if you’re feeling better and you’re up to it, we should go back to the holodeck and continue tonight.”

Hyunwoo found his eyes returning to Kihyun, chatting with Minhyuk across the room. He studied the reddened tongue drag up the length of-

“Captain?”

Hyunwoo blinked and turned to the Ensign once more. He wanted to say no. He really did, but this is exactly what he told himself he couldn’t do if he was going to be with Kihyun. He was a Captain first. There was no room for being selfish. Elon wanted to train, needed to train, and he already had to cancel on him last night in lieu of bed rest.

“Absolutely. Twenty Hundred hours. Holodeck Three.”

Elon beamed. “I’ll reserve it.”

He pondered over the misfortune of conflicting duties and responsibilities. Was midnight too late to visit his boyfriend? Probably, considering the man was such an early riser.

Lieutenant Tipher from the table next to the duo offered Kihyun his grape popsicle. He knew exactly why that perv was offering another popsicle. Hyunwoo's lip curled on a sneer until Kihyun refused with a mild 'who are you' arch of a brow and a halting hand, content to wrap his lips around the melting nub of fruit juice. Hyunwoo smiled, pleased. Good boy.

Lieutenant Tipher turned his back to Kihyun, defeated. His friends shook their heads at the poor lad. Hyunwoo had to admit, he’d never been more appreciative of Dr. Yoo’s icy reputation til now.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kihyun finished drying the last of the plates and leaned against the front of the stove, watching Hyunwoo's shoulders and arms work to scrub alfredo sauce from the large pot. Broad Back Captain, he'd been appreciating this piece of art since the dawn of Saturday dinners. Dreamed of kissing every square inch of that back and falling asleep on top of it.

There was something about Hyunwoo being all domestic at the sink: sleeves rolled to his elbows, sudsy hands leaving no food particle untouched, head down-turned in concentration whilst simultaneously conversing with Hoseok or Jooheon. The only difference was that prime piece of real estate was now his.

He slung the drying cloth over his shoulder and sighed wistfully. You'd never know it though. Hyunwoo wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't always have time to give him. Five days passed since their new start. When Hyunwoo wasn't busy with this department or that crewmate, he was in his ready room doing ‘Captain’ things.

Tonight though? Freedom. It wasn't even about the sex or lack thereof. It was time together Kihyun craved. Eye contact. Words. Kisses and the warmth of his hands. He didn't even care the seven of them were about to watch a movie together. His arm and thigh would line up with Hyunwoo's. He’d rest his head against that solid shoulder. That was enough.

He moved forward to wrap his arms around Hyunwoo's middle and buried his face between Hyunwoo’s shoulder blades. “You smell good.”

Hyunwoo smiled. Kihyun’s body against his, arms holding him tightly, he never wanted to kick his friends out more.

Hoseok grinned into his gin and tonic and left for the living room. “Better get this show on the road, guys.”

Hyunwoo finished rinsing and placed the pot on a rack, turning around in Kihyun’s arms. He used the towel on Kihyun’s shoulder to dry his hands then wrapped it around the back of the man’s neck, pulling him closer and peppering little kisses onto his lips.

“Movie’s starting, you sickos!” Jooheon shouted.

Kihyun backed away with a grin, pulling Hyunwoo to the couch.

Hyunwoo turned them around and pulled him into the space between his legs once he sat down. This time, his arms wrapped around Kihyun, who wiggled into his embrace until comfortable.

Minhyuk switched the lights off and snuggled in next to Jooheon.

Lately, they’d been going through the classics. Tonight’s selection was some vintage superhero movie about hammers and thunder and what not. Kihyun didn’t mind. The actor was hot. He said as much and Hyunwoo pinched his side.

An hour and thirty minutes into the film, Kihyun was slipping away. It was a busy week for everyone and he couldn’t wait to sleep-in tomorrow. As his eyes grew heavy, Hyunwoo’s arms, which had been secure around him, loosened. A hand settled flat under his chest as another rubbed over his stomach. It was gentle and pleasing at first; even aided his descent into sleep, but the light touches didn’t last. Hyunwoo’s hand stayed at his navel and pressed fingers into his skin with a firmer pressure. The little, digging circles sparked a tightening inside him, not only awakening him, but awakening an ever growing need that was building for most of the week.

Kihyun licked his lips. How did this feel so good? He was hot and had the urge to arch into the touch, but couldn’t. Not with their friends in arm’s reach. As a reminder not to make any suggestive moves, he tucked his hands under Hyunwoo’s thighs, trying his best to slow his breathing. He felt Hyunwoo’s lips on the crown of his head. Hyunwoo slowed, returning to soothing slides across his tummy. The burgeoning energy died down to a pleasant buzz.

Yet, as the movie was reaching a climax, the fingers returned, both hands intent on provoking that tightening in his gut. He bit down on his lip, afraid of making a sound that would damn them both. He needed to writhe up against those fingers so badly. His tummy wasn’t the only thing tightening down there.

Kihyun’s head turned to the side, not even bothering to watch the film anymore when fingers slid under his shirt and began with a renewed passion, intent of driving Kihyun mad with want.

Hyunwoo felt him going restless in his arms and pushed in deep. The resulting full body shudder vibrated against him. He lowered his head to bite at Kihyun's ear and was rewarded with a barely there whine.

“Do you want it?” Hyunwoo whispered.

Heaven help him, he did. It felt too good. Waves of fire that crashed into his gut over and over. Whenever Hyunwoo touched him, Kihyun began to think he never explored his body enough in his youth. This slow coiling in the pit of his stomach had a direct line to his cock and he knew, despite it never happening before, that he would come from this. Kihyun nodded, prayed that he could keep still and quiet.

Kihyun was moving too much, angling his torso to the side to escape his probing fingers.

Hyunwoo smiled and pinned Kihyun's thighs down with his own. Then pushed Kihyun's thighs out wider with his legs, snaking his calves under Kihyun's knees to root him more firmly in place. Moving the digits of one hand to Kihyun's belly button and the other low on his belly he massaged slow, firm circles into the heated flesh. He felt Kihyun tense incrementally with each passing moment, his chest puffing out quicker, his thighs stressing under Hyunwoo's.

Thank God the room was dark and the movie deafening.

Hyunwoo lowered his voice to an almost inaudible whisper at Kihyun’s ear. He breathed in the vanilla musk of his perfume. “My sweet little nympho. You going to cum in front of all your friends? I wonder if they can smell you right now, if they could even recognize what it is. If I put my hand on your pants, are you going to be wet? You're going to wet yourself good and have to marinate in it for the duration of this movie. Just have sit in your cum like the messy boy you are.”

Kihyun pressed his lips together and screwed his eyes shut. He was built up so high right now, he was seconds away from falling.

“So shameless. You just can't help it, can you? Have to leak all over yourself whenever I touch you, don’t you? Go on. Come in front of your friends. They’re all gonna know you’re so hot for it, you come from a simple belly rub.”

Kihyun came. It was a shock, but at the same time, slower, intense in its low, lingering hum, seeping warmly down his limbs and extremities in pleasant throbs. Not a violent crash against a cliffside, but a gentle lapping against a scorched shoreline.

Hyunwoo wrapped his arms around Kihyun, hugging him warmly from behind, securing Kihyun against his chest. He pressed his lips to the silky hair and breathed him in. This man was an angel, so sweet, so honest, his body a paradise of untapped treasures.

Ensuring everyone was well engaged in the film, he lowered a hand to Kihyun's crotch. Fucking drenched. He cupped and squeezed the bulge, jiggling it gently in his hand. A deluge of cum and precum lay under his hand. He squeezed again, enjoying the squishiness contained by Kihyun's undies. He could only imagine how filthy Kihyun felt.

Kihyun shivered. That was...amazing, eye-opening, draining. However, Hyunwoo's hand playing with his crotch only served to remind him how exposed he was right now. He was sitting in a swamp of his own fluids. Irregardless of the fatigue weighing him down, it was kind of turning him on, feeling the wetness inside his cheeks, his hole jealous at the lack of attention. Kihyun came to the conclusion that he was, perhaps, a little bit of a slut after all.

‘However,’ Kihyun thought, sobering. Though the room was dark, he was flaunting it. He tried to pull his legs closed, but Hyunwoo’s legs kept his firmly in place and, in fact, forced his legs to spread wider. Hyunwoo removed the hand from his crotch and used it to keep his arms at his sides in a sturdy bear hug.

Kihyun's eyes widened. What the fuck, Hyunwoo? He was so fucking unprotected like this. His heart, which had just calmed down, pittered back to life.

In the flashes of light from the screen, he could see how wet his pants were, on display for anyone to see. And, as disgraceful as it was, he fucking loved it. Why?! What was wrong with him? He was mortified, terrified, so fully titillated by the ‘what if’ of this situation. That others might know how dirty he was, how wanton Hyunwoo made him? It was somehow both the worst and the best thing that could happen: a horrifying and electrifying anticipation.

Hyunwoo chuckled in his ear, knowing exactly what Kihyun was thinking. “Oh, Kitten. What are you going to do? I’ll stop, if you want me to.”

Kihyun's breath quickened, but he didn't respond. That earned him another dark chuckle.

“You're going to leave it up to me?”

Kihyun still couldn't answer. He did want to leave it up to him, give him control. He intrinsically knew Hyunwoo wouldn't let this movie end without finding a way to disguise the evidence. Of course, that wouldn't stop anyone from glancing over in the meantime. The stakes were high.

Hyunwoo returned to the movie, holding him securely against him. Kihyun, for the life of him, could not return to the movie. It was impossible. He was literally stewing in his juices. Exposed, vulnerable, anxious. Hyunwoo's muscles pressed solidly against his back. The strong arms and thighs holding him, restraining him, burned him through and through.

Kihyun might be a little bit sick. His fantasies were surely a little messed up, but it was another thing altogether to realize he would willingly do every single one of them and love it. He almost wanted someone to look.

He felt Hyunwoo's steady breath against his hair and Kihyun decided to experience this, to not fight the nerves or quickened heart rate. He chose to savor the internal struggle, feel every little emotion. His eyes flitted to the others, who were enjoying the movie. Kihyun wouldn't know. He licked his lips in wait. Unbelievably, his cock was interested in how this would play out.

As the final battle began, Hyunwoo took a glass from the side table for a drink. Kihyun tensed, thinking the movement would draw the other's attention. When it didn't, Kihyun relaxed marginally. He heard a few solid glugs of Hyunwoo drinking at his ear. Then, Hyunwoo promptly tipped the water onto Kihyun's pants.

Kihyun jolted. Fuck! That's cold!

Hyunwoo sighed loudly. “Shit, Ki. I'm sorry.”

Kihyun's mouth was wide open at the shock of it. The corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly as Hyunwoo apologized profusely, stating it was an _accident_.

Letting out a shuddery exhale, Kihyun stood up, pulling at his pants. “It's fine. Don't worry.”

He looked around. “I'll, uh, get a towel.”

Jooheon paused the movie and Kihyun waved him off. “Don't stop.”

Hyunwoo stood up as well. The leather between his thighs was slightly wet from the ‘accident.’ He headed for the kitchen to fetch a hand towel.

He called to Kihyun from the kitchen. “Run upstairs and put on a pair of my sweats. Third drawer.”

Kihyun nodded and tiptoed up the stairs, not that he could be heard over the movie under him. 

Minhyuk met his eyes on his way up with a raised brow. Stars above, he knew.

He looked dead straight ahead of him and rushed up the rest of the steps. He blew out a breath when he stepped into Hyunwoo's loft. Okay. Min knowing was no big deal. They were best friends. He was obligated to love and accept him. In all likelihood, Min was probably proud of him for flying his freak flag.

Kneeling on the floor, he rifled through Hyunwoo's clothes and pulled out some light gray sweats that Min and him used to watch trainees run track in back in the day, then retreated to the bathroom.

Putting his hands on the edge of the counter, he stared at himself. “You are a dirty little hoe.”

After cleaning himself up with a warm washcloth, he tugged Hyunwoo's sweats on. They were unbelievably soft and worn; he got a little sentimental knowing he was wearing something Hyunwoo obviously loved and wore often. Too big, of course, but nice. He rinsed the soiled pants under the faucet with hand soap and hung them over the door to dry before padding back down the stairs and into Hyunwoo's waiting arms. He spent the last ten minutes of the movie trying to figure out what happened.

Hyunwoo bid the last of them goodnight at the door then turned around. Kihyun was sitting on his feet at the end of the couch, arm thrown over the back.

“Alone at last,” Hyunwoo said.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Can I get you something?” He asked, heading to the bar.

“You.”

Hyunwoo stopped in his tracks, charmed, before continuing to the bar and pouring a malt. It was only ten. They had all night.

“You sure?” Hyunwoo asked again, screwing the cap back on.

Kihyun flopped down on the couch, wiggling his toes, which stuck out from the ends of the too long pants. “Surprise me.”

Hyunwoo filled a cocktail glass with Chambord and white wine, then topped it off with soda water. A glass in each hand, he sauntered back to sofa. He leaned over the back of the couch, resting forearms on the back and stared down at the man.

“So, what do you want to do?”

Kihyun didn't fight the wide smile breaking his face. “You can join me, for starters.”

Hyunwoo licked his lips and came around the couch, handing a glass to Kihyun, who stuffed a couple pillows behind his back to sit up and take it from him.

Hyunwoo sat and pulled Kihyun's feet onto his lap. With an exaggerated sigh, he placed the tumbler on the coffee table and began painstakingly folding the pant legs up above Kihyun's ankles. “Safety hazard,” he chastised lightly.

“Such a stickler,” Kihyun sighed dramatically.

“Don't you forget it.”

Kihyun took a sip, making an appreciated sound. “It's good.”

Hyunwoo squeezed his ankle and reached for his drink. Whatever program on the television after Jooheon exited the movie droned in the background.

“I feel like I haven't seen you at all this week,” Kihyun said.

“That's because you haven't. Sorry about that.”

His tongue licked the rim of his glass. “How was your week? You looked fed up yesterday.”

Hyunwoo's mouth quirked up at the side. “Trying,” he said in answer. “But, I don't want to talk about work right now.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Tell me something about you. Something I don't know.”

Kihyun's lips pushed out as he looked to the far wall in thought. He smiled. “When I was young, I was an awful student.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes narrowed on him. “I don’t believe you.”

“I was,” Kihyun insisted. “You know me as an academic, the top of my class in the Academy, top of my class at the Institute. But primary school, middle school? I was the literal bottom of the barrel.”

“You work in extremes, I see. Yoo Kihyun, ignorant little farm-boy.”

“Well, what was I learning for, anyway? That was my reasoning. I lived in an agricultural district with farmers for parents. To me, it made sense to play hard while I could.”

Hyunwoo laughed. “Play hard? You weren’t even thirteen. Doing what? Jacks?”

“Jacks? Hyunwoo, this isn’t the 19th century. I swear, you city folk are dumber than dirt. What is it you think we do out in the middle of nowhere? Run around with a stick and hoop?”

“Hell if I know. Swim? Shoot soda cans? Roll down hills?”

Kihyun twisted his lips. He wasn’t that far off there. “We do have solar energy and electricity out yonder in the fields, you know. We’re not heathens. I played video games until three in the morning, watched entirely too much television, goofed off with my friends in the woods, graffitied greenhouses.”

“I knew it. You’ve been a naughty boy from the start.”

Kihyun kicked his thigh playfully. “So, there. I was a would-be middle school dropout at the rate I was going. Your turn.”

“Hmm.” Hyunwoo dropped his head back on the couch. His tumbler was back in hand, resting on Kihyun’s foot.

Kihyun wiggled his other foot against his thigh, urging him on. “Oh, come on. I know you’re an upstanding, goody-goody golden boy, but there has to be something that would surprise me.”

Hyunwoo grinned at the ceiling. Goody-goody? He just rubbed that little belly until he came in front of their friends and he’s a goody-goody? The man was going to be in for it later.

He dropped his head to the side and looked at him. Truthfully, there really wasn’t anything special or interesting about his upbringing. He spent it living up to his parents’ expectations and working towards a captaincy. Work, work and more work. Anything that would be shocking was off limits.

“In the Captains’ Training Program, there was this real prat. Still a prat, by the way. Park Hyungsik.” He shook his head. “Had it out for me for as long as I can remember. Has a similar background: affluent parents, strict upbringing. We found ourselves in the same boot camps, training camps, military schools. My whole life, this guy has done everything in his power to stop me, trip me up. He was good at it, too, especially when I was younger.”

“Why didn’t he like you?”

Hyunwoo smirked. “He was good, but I was better. In everything. Grades. Placement. Standing. Stats. In the classroom. Outside the classroom.”

“Yeah, yeah. We get it. You’re spectacular.”

Hyunwoo hooked a finger around his toe and shook his foot in punishment. “You asked.”

Kihyun giggled. “Is this story going anywhere or are you just gloating?”

“By the time we made it into the Academy, I had quite honestly had enough and, in hindsight, I may have been a bit unhinged in light of recent events.”

Kihyun’s smile fell. The starbase. His mother.

“We were partnered together for an assignment. A mock mission, if you will. Go to Venus, find the flag, bring it back. It was a competition against other teams. One thing we do have in common is our desire to be the best. We wanted to win, but, like every time, he couldn’t resist opening that self-satisfied mouth and I thought, ‘Fuck it.’”

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo with rapt attention, not used to seeing Hyunwoo talk ill about anyone. “Hyunwoo, what did you do?”

“I tinkered with the controls in our ship while he was resting. When he woke up and took over for me, he crashed the ship into Venus. Got kicked out of the program and had to reapply the next semester.”

“You didn’t get in trouble? Hyunwoo that was dangerous!”

Hyunwoo shrugged. “Not really. Could have taken over if necessary. All things considered, he flew it quite well considering the manipulations I encoded. And, no, I didn’t get in trouble. He was named ‘Captain’ for the mission. I was his ‘First Officer.’ It was my duty to follow his command. The comm recordings spoke for themselves. He ordered me to stand the fuck down when I tried to help.”

“You sabotaged him,” Kihyun said in awe.

“It’s nothing he hadn’t been doing my whole life.”

“You destroyed Starfleet property,” Kihyun went on.

“‘Destroyed’ is overkill. I was credited with fixing the ship on Venus with nothing but the items on board. ‘Mock Command’ from base handed the reins to me and I flew the baby home.”

“Wah...” Kihyun shook his head. “I can’t believe I was talking about your principles the other day. You’re just as petty as me.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “Don’t tell anyone. Just so you know, if you do, I will deny it and take you down.”

Kihyun grinned. “Did you feel guilty?”

Hyunwoo was silent for a moment. “Not at first. When I say he deserved it, he did...but, after a while, yes, I did regret my actions. It was the first time I realized I was capable of something like that: deception, cruelty. It was unsettling.” His face grew somber for a moment.

“Did he never suspect you?”

“No clue. At that point in time, his landing skills were shit anyhow. If he did, he was smart enough not to say anything. I could have ruined him recounting every time he cheated over the years trying to bring me down. His credibility, his merit, would have been destroyed. Integrity is the first thing Starfleet looks for in their Captains.”

“I know it’s awful, but I feel a little bad for the guy.”

Hyunwoo scoffed. “You shouldn’t. He was back the next semester with no lessons learned. Still graduated on time with the rest of us. Somehow became an even bigger asshole than he was before.”

“Because you were that much further ahead of him?”

“Probably.” Hyunwoo ran a hand up his calf. “So, your captain isn’t such a golden boy after all.” He arched a brow. “Have I ruined the fantasy?”

Kihyun smiled against the rim of his drink. “Not at all. You’re still my boy scout. Only now...I know there’s a touch of darkness hidden under that perfect exterior; it honestly makes me more comfortable around you.”

If he only knew, Hyunwoo thought darkly.

“So,” Kihyun said brightly, kicking his thigh. “How'd you lose your virginity? Who popped the Captain’s cherry?”

Hyunwoo laughed. It was dawning on him, day by day, even when they didn’t spend time together, how much he needed Kihyun in his life. A light and soothing salve to chase his heavy shadow away.

“Seventh grade. Tessa Lee.”

“Seventh grade?!” Kihyun sputtered. “What were you, thirteen?”

“Twelve.”

“That’s gross.”

“Hey,” Hyunwoo defended. “I was curious, and she was, too.”

“Had she even sprouted breasts, yet?”

“She was fourteen.”

Kihyun’s face crinkled in distaste. “That’s even grosser. She totally took advantage of you.”

Hyunwoo grinned fondly. “Yes, she did.”

“Ugh!” Kihyun held up a hand. “I don’t want to know anymore. That’s too young.”

“You’re absolutely right, but try telling that to twelve-year-old me. I wanted to fuck everyone, everything. I was obsessed. If I lived out in the backwoods like you, I’d of probably lost it to a goat,” Hyunwoo joked.

Kihyun shook his head in judgement. “You’re are truly sick, you know that?”

“Come to think of it, if I was out in the middle of nowhere, I would have lost it to you.”

Kihyun shook his head in confident denial. “Uh, uh. I was a pudgy little boy. You wouldn’t have looked twice.”

A grin split Hyunwoo’s face. “And the revelations keep coming.” He tickled Kihyun’s stomach.

“Hyunwoo!” Kihyun laughed and squirmed, trying to keep his drink level.

Hyunwoo set his tumbler down and tickled him further. “Was this a jiggly little belly?” He lifted the bottom of the shirt and blew a raspberry into his stomach.

Kihyun squealed and his foot nearly ended his favorite appendage of Hyunwoo’s. Hyunwoo didn’t seem too bothered and continued his attack, forcing Kihyun into peals of laughter. When he went after his sides, Kihyun did upend his drink, painting his white tee-shirt a blushing pink.

Kihyun rolled and escaped from the couch. “Hyunwoo! Look what you made me do,” he yelled, backing away to end of the couch as Hyunwoo stood up with a playful, predatory stance.

Kihyun’s eyes widened, he moved to stand behind the recliner.

Hyunwoo moved forward slowly. “It’s hardly the first set of clothes you soiled in my presence. It won’t be the last.”

Kihyun blushed furiously.

“What? Cat got your tongue, kitten?”

He looked like he could pounce at any moment. Kihyun shot what was left of his drink back, trying to look confident. “If you don’t apologize and keep your distance Captain Son, I’ll never soil anything in front of you again. You stay right where you are.”

Hyunwoo took a step forward. “My house, my rules.”

A thrill shot down his spine at this game of...whatever this was. He couldn’t dampen the excited smile stretching his lips, but he backed up to the kitchen, putting the breakfast bar between them. “This game isn’t fair if I don’t know the rules, Hyunwoo.” He set the empty glass in the sink, waiting with a haughty expression.

“First rule. Soiled clothes must come off.”

Kihyun bit down on his answering grin and he pulled the shirt over his head. “See? I’m a team player.” He threw the shirt at Hyunwoo, who was closing the distance.

Hyunwoo caught it and watched Kihyun move to the other side of the breakfast bar, keeping the barrier between them. He dropped it on the counter. “Second rule. Tit for tat. Who had the honor of popping yours?”

Kihyun blinked innocently. “I believe you’ve met him. World-class athlete, Choi Minho.”

Hyunwoo raised an amused brow. “Now who’s gloating? How old and how?”

“Sixteen. In a janitor’s closet.”

Hyunwoo barked a laugh. “So cliche. I didn’t peg you for a bathroom stall kind of guy.”

Kihyun bristled. “How many lovers?”

“Lost count,” Hyunwoo stated, stepping to the edge of the bar.

Kihyun pointed at him sternly as he moved to put the coffee table and couch between them. 

“That’s a cop out. Give me an estimate.”

“Fifty?”

Kihyun’s jaw dropped. “Fifty?! How the hell did you have the time to graduate?”

“I really plow forward,” Hyunwoo remarked.

Kihyun scoffed.

“Jealous?”

“Disgusted,” he shot back.

Hyunwoo smiled. “Tit for tat, Kihyun. How many?”

He didn’t want to say after hearing that. Fifty? He raised his chin. He couldn’t back down. “You’re my fifth.”

Oh, fuck. He could tell from Hyunwoo’s expression that he fucking loved that. The smug bastard.

“The fifth,” Hyunwoo stated in awe. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you’ve only been with the esteemed Dr. Dongwook once. Does that even count?”

Kihyun shot him a superior look. “Oh, he counts alright.”

Hyunwoo raised a brow.

“Jealous?” Kihyun asked lightly.

“I think not,” Hyunwoo replied. He tilted his head, running his eyes up and down Kihyun in thought. “Still, I can’t help but wonder. If you’d taken more, you’d probably be able to last longer.”

Kihyun picked up a throw pillow and threw it at him. It fell short of his mark. “Whatever. If I slept with every man that was interested, I’d be well on my way to a thousand.”

He added an edge to his voice. “The difference between you and me, Hyunwoo, is that I don’t grab any greasy wing off the barroom floor. I have a more refined palette.”

Hyunwoo took the jab with grace. He came up behind the recliner and rested his arms on the back of the chair. “Flattered I made it onto your menu. Tell me, what am I in your books? Fillet mignon? Kobe steak? Cote de beuf?”

Kihyun’s lip curled up at his arrogance. “More like the Vienna sausages we keep in storage for when things get real dire.”

Vienna sausage?! Hyunwoo bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. The little brat. He stalked forward with purpose now. “I think your memory needs to be sparked.”

Kihyun circled to the other side of the couch. “I don’t think a dinky sparkler is going to cut it, Captain.”

Hyunwoo’s lips turned up in amusement. “You better run, Yoo.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened at the glint in his eyes.

Hyunwoo lunged forward, reaching a hand to the back of the couch and jumping over the back of it.

Kihyun ran towards the dining area with an undignified squeal, but Hyunwoo had him in trapped in his arms within seconds. He struggled in the hold, but there was no way he was going anywhere in Hyunwoo’s iron embrace.

“Vienna sausage,” Hyunwoo echoed in disbelief. “You want to know the third rule?”

Kihyun was breathless. “What?”

“Liars get spanked.”

“I can’t get spanked. You didn’t tell me the rule beforehand. It doesn’t count.”

Hyunwoo tilted his head in consideration. “A fair point. I’m nothing if not evenhanded. Make amends and I’ll consider it.”

Kihyun laughed at himself. This was ridiculous and fun and hot. “You’re not a Vienna sausage,” he laughed.

Hyunwoo loosened his arms around Kihyun. “Show me you mean it. Obviously, I can’t trust what you say.”

Kihyun turned in his arms and looked up at him.

Gods, Kihyun was beautiful. Pink and sparkling with excitement, on the verge of laughter, even as he pulled his face down to his.

Kihyun closed his eyes and slotted their lips together, licking into Hyunwoo’s mouth. The faint bite of whiskey met his tongue. Hyunwoo pulled him up against his front and grabbed his ass. Kihyun took advantage of the position, wrapping arms around Hyunwoo’s neck and pulling himself up, bringing his legs up around Hyunwoo’s sides and locking his feet together behind him.

Hyunwoo hiked him up a little further, hands unapologetically gripping each globe.

Kihyun pulled back. “How am I doing?”

“A little more sincerity would go a long way.”

Kihyun kissed him again, meeting Hyunwoo’s tongue in hungry caresses. His back hit the chilled wall when Hyunwoo walked them forward. Kihyun took hold of Hyunwoo’s face and latched onto his tongue, sucking.

Hyunwoo kneaded his ass in appreciation as Kihyun kept going, licking Hyunwoo’s encouraging tongue and sucking on his lips. He pulled back on a gasp when a finger touched his hole through the sweatpants.

“Have I passed?” Kihyun panted.

“Do you want to pass?”

“Yes,” Kihyun breathed.

Hyunwoo sighed in disappointment. “I was going to let it go, but you lied again. Clearly, you haven’t learned anything.”

Kihyun’s mouth opened in an astonished ‘o.’ “What?” He unhooked his legs and slid down.

Hyunwoo lifted a brow. “In what universe do you not want to be spanked?”

Kihyun’s eyes narrowed indignantly. He held up a finger. “Your rules are flawed. By your reasoning, that would mean I should lie to you. That lies are rewarded.”

“No,” Hyunwoo refuted. “Spanking your sweet ass is a reward for me. Your resulting pleasure is a byproduct.”

Hyunwoo looked down. “Additionally, you’ve soiled my sweats. Time to take them off.”

“I did not!” Kihyun argued. He looked down. Shit. There was a drop.

He shook his head vigorously. “Well, I’m not going to. A drop is hardly soiled.” He took a step back as if to say, ‘So, there.’

“And here I thought you were a team player.” Hyunwoo clicked his tongue in disappointment. “You’re just as bad as Hyungsik.” He took a step forward, looming over the smaller man.

Kihyun's eyes narrowed. “You’re comparing me, your boyfriend, to your arch-nemesis?”

“I am,” Hyunwoo stated with confident assurance. “You’re a cheater.”

Kihyun took a step back in mock outrage and the unbelievable happened. The leg of the sweatpants, now unrolled in their game of tag, was under Hyunwoo’s foot. Kihyun’s innocent step back pulled the already loose pants down over his hips. Gravity did the rest of the work.

Hyunwoo blessed Kihyun with the proverbial cat who caught the canary smile. He shook his head. “Karma. It’s a bitch.”

Kihyun stood stark naked in front of Hyunwoo, sweatpants at his ankles, in absolute shock. Before he could bend down to pull them back up, Hyunwoo grabbed him and lifted him so his toes left the ground. He felt the sweatpants abandon him completely as Hyunwoo walked them forward.

Hyunwoo deposited his charge in front of the coffee table. “Get on it. Hands and knees.”

A part of him wanted to cry in outrage at these absurd rules. Another part wanted to laugh. Kihyun couldn’t remember the last time he literally played. The third part of him simply wanted to drop to his knees and choke on Hyunwoo’s cock.

He turned around and crawled on the low table. This was easily becoming his favorite game. The table was hard and unforgiving under his knees, but he liked the penal quality of the scene, that it wasn’t easy or comfortable, the fact he was completely naked while Hyunwoo remained fully clothed.

Hyunwoo shook his head at the form in front of him, reveling in the view. Kihyun, naked, on his fucking coffee table, waiting to be spanked. As much as he wanted to get to it, and he could tell Kihyun was more than ready to get to it given how he was already tensed in anticipation, he wanted to mess with the man a little more. Kihyun brought the extremes out of him, whether that be softness or hardness. Right now, he was feeling a little sadistic having Kihyun submit to him, especially having the benefit of already knowing the man's fantasies.

He walked around to the other side of the coffee table. Kihyun looked up at him. “Why are you here Kihyun?”

“I broke the rules, Sir.”

Sir. That’s right. Good boy. Hyunwoo smiled. “Can you tell me why?”

“I...like when you pay attention to me.”

“Such honesty. So, you believe breaking the rules will give you my attention?”

“It does,” Kihyun stated.

Hyunwoo tsked, shaking his head in disappointment. “I thought we’d been through this before.”

Kihyun’s eyes met his dead-on. “Look where I am, Sir. It works.”

Hyunwoo licked the corner of his mouth, intrigued by Kihyun’s sass. “Perhaps. But, food for thought: had you been a good boy, I would be drinking you dry right now as you hump my face.”

Kihyun licked his lips. His cock produced the very drink Hyunwoo was talking about, dripping onto the table.

“I wonder.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Good or bad, you have my attention. Deep down, what is it you're really looking for?”

This was way too philosophical for him right now and Hyunwoo knew it. He knew Hyunwoo could see how badly he wanted to be spanked, he was leaking on his coffee table for fuck’s sake, and he was deliberately denying him. His body went hot and his cock grew more taut.

With a groan he dropped his head. He knew the answer.

Hyunwoo’s finger hooked into his mouth and brought his head back up.

“We’ve talked about this before, baby. Respect. Look at me when I’m talking to you.” He withdrew his finger.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Now, answer me. What is it?”

“I like it when you control me.”

Hyunwoo smiled proudly. “Almost.”

Kihyun squeezed his eyes tight before opening them, remembering he needed to keep his eyes on Hyunwoo. The truth of it rang through his body. “I want to surrender control to you.”

Hyunwoo squatted down, folding his arms on the table. “That’s the ticket. You liked that earlier, didn’t you? Me holding you captive during the movie, taking your will away.”

“Yes.”

Hyunwoo smiled sincerely. This started out as a game, but he was glad for the opportunity to broach this subject. “I don’t want you to feel like you need to goad me into taking control. You can simply surrender it because it makes you feel good to do so. There is nothing wrong with that. Control. Having it. Not having it. It’s a heady thing. You shouldn’t feel less or weak for giving it away. Don’t feel like me taking it is the only way for you to feel comfortable giving it.”

Kihyun swallowed, his throat thick with the weight of this exchange. Hyunwoo probably didn't know the effect of his words or how much he needed to hear that. There was this voice in his head, after Jefferson, that told him he was sick for not wanting control, from becoming aroused at not having control. That asked him how his fantasies were any different from Jefferson taking control, and, until this moment, the baser, more illogical part of him couldn’t answer that question.

He loved Hyunwoo and, despite any murky gray area, he trusted him implicitly. He wasn’t ready to say it, but he knew it.

He moved a hand forward on the table and kissed him. Hyunwoo’s hand cupped the back of his head and returned his kisses tenderly. After a moment, Hyunwoo pulled back. Kihyun read the worry in his eyes and realized his own eyes were misty.

“Ki?”

Kihyun sniffed. “Yes, Sir?”

“If you want me to be in charge, just tell me. Whenever you feel like it. If you’re not-”

“I want to surrender to you,” Kihyun breathed, a little overwhelmed.

Hyunwoo leaned forward to peck his lips. “I’m proud of you. For the sake of clarification, answer a couple questions for me.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Are you leaving all sexual decisions regarding your body to me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “The where, the when, the how, those are for me to decide, correct?”

Kihyun nodded. A weight he never noticed was lifting off him, leaving him with a freedom that simultaneously soothed and aggravated his core, his desire.

“Words, baby.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“How will you tell me you want something to stop or if you are uncomfortable?”

“I won’t want you to stop.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “No. I need to know. I need you to communicate with me.”

Kihyun’s knees were aching. He was emotionally and mentally wrung out. The last couple minutes hit him like a freight train. “Shownu.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. “Shownu?” That was his name on Unit X missions, how they communicated with each other over comms. How did Kihyun know that?

Seeing the shock, Kihyun explained, hoping Hyunwoo wasn’t angry. “I’ve heard it a few times. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. It just happened.”

Okay. They were slacking. No more impromptu powwows in present company.

“It’s okay. Shownu, then. You’ll call me Shownu when it hurts too much, when you’re uncomfortable or you just want to stop.” The irony wasn’t lost on him. That name passing Kihyun’s lips would be more than enough to stop him cold.

A look down told him Kihyun’s lust had wilted. He stood up and removed his belt, letting it drop to the floor. Kihyun stared at his groin then flicked eyes up to him. “You want it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then, this is what I want from you. Take your spanking. Tell me how you feel when I hit your ass. Talk to me, moan, cry, scream if you want to. I don’t ever want to see your lips pressed together. Not here, not in bed. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyunwoo walked back to the other end of the coffee table. He knew Kihyun must be uncomfortable like this, but this was part of the thrill for Kihyun. Hyunwoo understood that. It gave him a thrill, too, knowing Kihyun trusted him enough to run him through his paces.

“Arch your back. Show me how much you want this.”

Kihyun complied, curving his back down and sticking his ass up. He wiggled his ass for him.

Hyunwoo’s mouth ticked up at the side. Kihyun’s playfulness was making a comeback. He ran a finger down the cleft and tapped the hole, tickled his fingers against his soft balls, then lifted his hand and brought it down on his right cheek sharply.

Kihyun grunted. “Again.”

Hyunwoo brought his hand down again, then squeezed the cheek. “Again is up to me.”

Cheeks bloomed red under his palm, taking blow after a blow.

Kihyun whined and whimpered each time Hyuwnoo’s palm made contact.

“Get down on your arms, lift your ass up high. You’re slacking, baby. Where’s that pretty arch? I thought you wanted this.”

Kihyun dropped to his arms and arched his back. “I do want it, Sir.”

Hyunwoo brought his hand down again and Kihyun yipped, rutting forward slightly before resuming the position.

“Hyunwoo,” he cried.

Hyunwoo landed three more spanks before stepping back. He walked to the side of the table and sat down on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. Kihyun’s middle was before him.

“You have a pretty cock, baby. Pretty balls, too.”

Kihyun swallowed. Tingles tickled his scalp at Hyunwoo’s compliment. His ass was on fire and his stomach knotted pleasurably knowing it was Hyunwoo’s hand that caused the burn.

Hyunwoo brought a finger forward and pushed Kihyun’s cock down. When he let go, it bobbed back up hitting his stomach. “For such a little cock though, it sure makes a big mess.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun agreed.

“Lick it up.”

Oh, god. Kihyun backed up on the table until his feet hung off the end and lowered his face to the puddle he made. He swiped his tongue up the middle of it and swallowed.

“Look at me when you lick it. Do you like the way you taste, Kihyun?”

Kihyun licked daintily at the precum, keeping his eyes on Hyunwoo and putting on a show. This was so much hotter in reality. He swallowed. “I like the way you taste better.”

“Clean it up and you can wash it down with mine.”

Kihyun returned to the mess, locking eyes with Hyunwoo again. He quickly lapped at the substance like a kitten before a bowl of milk.

“Done, Sir.” He moved to get off the table, intending settle between Hyunwoo’s legs but was stopped.

“You missed some.”

Kihyun looked at the new drops on the table and sighed. “Hyunwoo, this will never end if we play it like this. You can’t tease me with your dick and not deliver.”

“I can. Lick it up.”

Kihyun had to get off the table and bend down to lick the drops at the edge. He put a hand around the tip of his cock to prevent any further mess. 

Hyunwoo nodded in approval. He undid his zipper and button, lifting his hips to pull the pants and underwear down together. Kihyun helped him pull it off his legs then kneeled between them. He lifted his shirt off. “It’s yours, do what you want.” Hyunwoo rested his arms on the back of the couch and waited.

Kihyun took hold of him and kissed the tip. Once. Twice. Then, kissed the hair at the base, inhaling deeply. He licked the hair and nosed down to his balls, smelling and running his tongue along the sac. Looking up at him, he sucked little kisses up the length then laved at the head, rolling his tongue over the underside of his cock.

“You’re so good to me, baby,” Hyunwoo murmured, watching Kihyun swirl his soft tongue against his head, teasing the underside. He kept his arms on the back of the couch. This was Kihyun’s show, he didn’t want to sway him this way or that way by burying his hands in that soft hair.

“I love your cock.” Kihyun breathed wetly on his shaft then took it hand, rubbing it over his cheeks and nose, tapping it against his lips, then his outstretched tongue.

Hyunwoo licked his lips. Kihyun was so damn hot, wholly beguiled by his dick. He heard the term cock worshipper thrown around before, but believed this was the first time he was truly seeing the definition as it was meant to be. Kihyun was literally loving his cock: the way he looked at it, the way he held it, the way he kissed and licked it.

Kihyun wrapped lips around the head and Hyunwoo groaned. The hot cavern moving over his mushroom head lovingly in gentle sucks that pulled soft ‘mms’ out of Kihyun. This time around, his own pleasure was a byproduct of Kihyun’s.

Hyunwoo lifted an arm and dropped it back down. Kihyun was in no rush, enjoying each simple act in the moment, lips pulling off, then wrapping back around him once more. Over and over again. Hyunwoo recounted every time he wanted to be Kihyun’s popsicle and now he was. It was heaven and torture all at once. His cock was for Kihyun to enjoy alone; he didn’t think there were any thoughts of getting Hyunwoo off running through that golden burnished head working over him right now.

The very moment he thought that, dark eyes looked up at him and lips slid down to the middle of his cock. Kihyun made a pleasured sound at having his mouth full, then proceeded to work that top half slowly and wetly. The sucking glide over his cock reached further, lips greedy for more until the head of his cock hit the back of his throat, triggering his gag reflex. A deluge of saliva ran down his cock as Kihyun kept it there, working to relax.

“Baby,” Hyunwoo moaned.

A few seconds later, Kihyun pulled up and took him down to the back of his throat again. A muffled whimper hummed around his cock and eyes looked up at him like he was the one being tortured, not Hyunwoo. Are you fucking kidding me?

Kihyun’s fingers held the base of his cock and balls as he began a slow, syrupy rhythm, occasionally pulling off to play will the underside of his head or bury his nose in his groin as a hand worked over his shaft. Kihyun mouthed at his balls like some kind of delicacy, nose brushing over them, under them.

Kihyun straightened, looking up at him. “Come in my mouth,” he asked, not waiting for an answer and taking him back inside the hot chasm of his mouth. He twisted a hand on his cock and worked his mouth and tongue over the head, still not hurried, but steadily and slowly building him up.

Hyunwoo couldn’t help it, his fingers carded through his hair, needing to touch him. Kihyun pulled blissful sigh after sigh from him. Everything about this pushed him closer: the lollipop sucks, the velvety tongue, the sound of Kihyun’s breathing and wet mouth loving him. Kihyun looked like he could do this for the rest of his life, he was so thoroughly enjoying his cock.

He recalled Kihyun’s fantasy about keeping his cock warm inside his mouth and shuddered. He didn’t quite understand the appeal for Kihyun at the time, but watching him now, he did. Kihyun loved having a cock in his mouth, the sensory overload it brought. The smell, texture, taste, pressure, weight. He liked it invading his space, his mouth, his tongue.

Hyunwoo’s hands followed Kihyun’s head down. A pleasured groan rumbled past his lips as his cock moved past the gag reflex and went down his throat. “Fuck.”

Kihyun’s throat gagged around him, eyes becoming teary at the intrusion, but he stayed for a drawn out four, three, two, one, then pulled off gasping. Saliva ran down his balls, down Kihyun’s chin and his hand worked Hyunwoo’s wet cock. Kihyun returned to his previous routine, sucking at his head. Yet, he looked up at him the whole time with such longing. Hyunwoo was humbled by the emotion in those eyes.

He wanted to fight the inevitable, to watch and feel Kihyun longer, but there was no fighting that mouth’s slow, incessant attention. As it was, Kihyun’s unhurried approach, turned this into longest, most mind-numbing blow job of his life.

Kihyun moved up to the couch for comfort, guiding Hyunwoo to lay back, before returning to his cock.

Kihyun laid between his legs and lapped at his balls while stroking him. “You’re so hard.”

Hyunwoo’s head dropped back on a huff. “Well aware.” He lifted a leg to the top of the couch to give him more room.

Kihyun suctioned over his head, running his tongue against the sensitive glans. He pulled off. “I love your cock.”

Hyunwoo groaned. He didn’t know if Kihyun was doing it on purpose or not, but the man was adept at edging him to the point of insanity. “Yeah?”

“Mm,” Kihyun agreed, running his flushed lips over his head. “All these veins.” He kissed down the line of one of the prominent ones, all the way to the base and whimpered.

Why the fuck was Kihyun whimpering here? Christ, he was going to die at this rate.

Kihyun mouthed at the base of his dick. “So thick and long.”

Hyunwoo dropped his other leg off the edge of the couch as if to offer it up to Kihyun even more. He prayed Kihyun would take a hint and stop talking.

Kihyun looked up at him and grinned slowly.

Fuck, Kihyun totally knew what he was doing. For someone so keen on giving up control, he sure wielded it well.

He took his cock in both hands and ran his tongue in circles over the head. “Just thinking about it in me again makes me want to cum.”

Hyunwoo got up on his elbows, intrigued. “Then get your sweet ass upstairs.”

Kihyun shook his head, twisting his hands around him. “In the morning,” he deflected. “I want you to cum from my lips, my tongue. Don’t you want to cum in my mouth?”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes. “Yes.”

His pink tongue flicked against him rapidly. “Ki,” he sighed.

Kihyun wrapped his lips around him once again, sucking, lips working on and off his head. “Do you know-” he started.

Christ, not again! Hyunwoo almost cried in despair.

“-everyday this week, I’ve gone home and put a dildo in me, thinking of you.”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Have you?”

Kihyun nodded. “I wanted to be ready for you. I was hoping you’d come over, christen my bed. You can, you know. Whenever you want. Just come over. Wake me up and love me. Use me.”

“Duly noted,” Hyunwoo gasped when Kihyun quit teasing and took him down.

Kihyun pulled off desperately after gagging around him. Catching his breath, he began stroking again. “‘Making you feel good, comforting you.’ I want to be that for you, too.”

Kihyun was a little hoarse from the abuse, Hyunwoo noted.

“If you’ve had a bad day-” He licked the head and kissed it. “-I want you to come and put your head on my lap. If you’re tired, I’ll tuck you in and scratch your back, spoon you to sleep. You’re not alone, Hyunwoo. Not if you don’t want to be. You’re here for anyone and everybody. Let me be here for you.”

Kihyun took him back down. All the way.

Hyunwoo was sweating, this stop and go was killing him. All this sentimental honesty was hard to wrap his head around when Kihyun was literally choking on his dick. It didn’t matter. Kihyun seemed to say what it was he wanted to say and worked him good. Wasn’t shy about gagging, choking and drooling all over him. Wasn’t reserved in the desperation he moved up and down with or the muffled moans that vibrated against his cock. He watched Kihyun reach a hand under himself.

A desperate pressure and pleasure welled up, a tickling running through his body, only this time Kihyun didn’t deny him.

“I’m coming,” Hyunwoo warned, fingertips digging into Kihyun’s scalp.

Kihyun’s welcoming moan rumbled through his cock. When his dick hit the back of his throat again, it rushed through him. Kihyun took it all, kept his lips wrapped around him, milking him through to the end.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes to see Kihyun, still sucking him with ice-blue eyes staring up at him. He pulled off slowly until his lips hovered over his head, opened them, then drooled cum over his spent cock with an almost evil glint in his eyes. His cum and Kihyun’s saliva bathed his cock, running down his balls. Then, Kihyun dived to lick it up, starting at his balls, the base of his cock, his hair, up his shaft. Sometimes, he’d lick it up just to dribble it back onto him and Hyunwoo thanked his lucky stars he wasn’t an overly sensitive person because, like the blow job itself, Kihyun seemed in no hurry for this to end either. He heard Kihyun’s hand moving over his own cock.

When he was sufficiently clean by Kihyun’s standards, Kihyun buried his face into his groin and sped up the movement of his hand. His other hand tensed on Hyunwoo's pec, fingers digging into his skin in desperation. “I’m gonna cum on you.”

Hyunwoo’s satisfied smiled stretched to a grin. Kihyun held the reigns quite well. Alarmingly well. Enjoyed it, too. He thought to himself, if boring was in their future, it was a long way off. He’d surrender control to this minx any day, anytime.

Kihyun moved up his body and pulled Hyunwoo’s lifted leg down to the couch in order to straddle his hips. Fingers worked his pink cock as his other hand massaged his balls. His ass rocked on his torso as Kihyun’s wet hand and cock dripped onto his stomach. His movements became erratic and Hyunwoo encouraged him with murmurs of how hot he was, how good he was to him, helped him along by probing his hole with a couple fingers, which pushed back against them with each uncoordinated thrust.

Kihyun’s body twisted and shuddered, and on a cry, the first wave of cum hit his abs, followed by more as Hyunwoo massaged his hole, telling him what a good boy he was, how pretty he was.

After an elongated moan, Kihyun squeezed his cock, his body still slightly rocking on him, then placed his hands on Hyunwoo’s pecs. He gently and slowly rocked his cock and balls through the mess he made on him, staring down at Hyunwoo with light eyes melting back into brown.

Hyunwoo moved his hands up his backside to his back, urging him down. Kihyun followed, meeting Hyunwoo’s lips for sweet kisses until Kihyun grew tired and settled his head into Hyunwoo’s neck.

“That was...,” Hyunwoo trailed off, at a loss for words.

“Amazing,” Kihyun moaned blissfully into his skin, wiggling in the mess on Hyunwoo.

“Amazing,” Hyunwoo echoed, combing his fingers through the hair behind Kihyun’s ears.

There was a gust of air at his neck.

“Tickles,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo felt the smile at his neck and grinned, moving his hands down Kihyun’s back, embracing him. He was so far gone on this man, it was embarrassing.

“Prickly Dr. Yoo is ticklish. That’s definitely going into the box.”

“Oh, yeah?” Kihyun mumbled, amused. “What else have you thrown in there recently?”

“You like being dirty and sloppy.”

“Correction. I like being dirty and sloppy when there are cocks involved. Outside of that, absolutely not. What else?”

“Any reservations on Terlesia aside, you get a thrill from exhibition.”

“I can’t really deny that anymore.” Kihyun lifted his head and looked down at him. “It’s too bad, really. You said no public displays of affection.”

“I’m a creative man, Kihyun. One trained in the arts of subterfuge. I’m confident I can find a way to indulge your kinks. Public is fine....as long as you don’t display it.”

Kihyun bit his lip.

“However, that might prove impossible given your tendency to runneth over.”

Kihyun looked away, embarrassed.

“Might have to buy you a diaper,” Hyunwoo teased offhandedly.

Kihyun colored.

Hyunwoo chuckled. “My, my. You like that, don’t you?”

“No,” Kihyun denied.

“You are so red. You do, don’t you? Does that turn you on? That you get so horny you need a diaper to soak it all up?”

“Hyunwoo,” he whined.

“Don’t be shy, baby.”

Kihyun hid his face in Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “When I was going through puberty...”

Hyunwoo grinned. “Yes?”

“I wore feminine pads.”

“Did you, now?” He really won the fucking lottery with this man.

“I couldn’t help it. I’d get turned on out of nowhere: in the middle of a maths test, study groups at the library, P.E., especially.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “Oh, I bet. All those men in the locker room, their big knobs out for you to see. I can only imagine how wet that made you.”

Kihyun lifted up, putting his forearms on Hyunwoo’s chest and looking down at him. “You humans have it so easy.”

“From your perspective, I suppose so. However, you, your body, is a fucking miracle, a godsend. You taste and smell so good. And, I may tease you about your...lucrative lubrication, but I wouldn’t change it for the universe. It’s an elixir. If I could walk into sickbay and pull your pants down to taste you whenever I wanted, you’d never get any work done.”

Kihyun smiled. “Hyunwoo...”

“You’ve got the softest skin, creamy and bright, I want to lick you all over.”

Kihyun giggled awkwardly. “This is embarrassing.”

“Too bad. Granted, I’ve never seen another Bemonian cock, so I’ve nothing to compare yours to, but you have the most beautiful cock I’ve ever seen.”

Kihyun pursed his lips. “It’s small.”

“It’s perfect,” Hyunwoo corrected. “Sexy and cute, just like the rest of you. And, if you ever want to flip me over and take me, I would be honored.”

Kihyun’s brows rose.

“Delighted,” Hyunwoo expanded at Kihyun’s unsure expression.

Kihyun grinned. “I’ve never...”

“Guess I’ll get to pop your cherry, after all.” He laughed watching the gears turn behind those expressive eyes.

“Given you something to think about, I see,” Hyunwoo commented fondly.

“Yeah...” Kihyun replied, distracted. “Though,” he said, meeting Hyunwoo’s eyes, “I really, really like you inside of me. Oh, god, you have no idea.”

“Babe, trust me. That is not gonna change. Your ass was made for loving. I have no idea? _You_ have no idea. My cock has been buried a lot of wonderful places-”

Kihyun smacked his pec.

Hyunwoo grinned. “Like, a lot.” His eyes squinted, amused by the glare Kihyun was giving him. 

“But,” he sobered. “It’s never felt anything quite like you before. So hot, so welcoming. The best hug my dick’s ever received. Do you know, it felt like your walls were throbbing around me?”

Kihyun licked his lips. “That’s because they were. Bemonian quirk.”

“Bemonian blessing,” Hyunwoo corrected.

Kihyun tapped a finger on his chin. “And, that’s why I say you have no idea. I’ve never been so full or stretched before. That pressure pushing at my walls...it’s like, each throb punched out this wave euphoria further than I thought possible. It’s never been all-consuming like that before. I’m used to my ass feeling that overwhelming pleasure. But, with you, each wave splashed through my entire body. I wish I could explain it. Wish you could feel what I feel.”

“Well, fuck,” Hyunwoo said. “So do I.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry about this week,” Hyunwoo apologized. “If I could, I’d like to make you feel that way every day. Daily distractions aside, things have been...tense.”

“Your club?”

Hyunwoo winced, brow wrinkling in regret. “I’m sorry, must be off my game. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Kihyun looked at him for a moment. This was the part of Hyunwoo that was off limits. “Okay.”

Kihyun dipped down and kissed his chin. “You know, you have a boyfriend now that can ease that tension. Like I said earlier, my door is open. I don’t bite.”

Hyunwoo smiled, squeezing Kihyun’s ass playfully, grateful that he didn’t push or prod at Hyunwoo’s slip. “Yes, you do.”

“Well, I don’t bite hard.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer. Not sure when. You’ll just have to sleep with a plug, so I can sneak in and take my pleasure without preamble.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened. “You want me to sleep with a plug?”

Hyunwoo rose a surprised brow. “Don’t tell me that’s where you draw the line? You just came in front of your best friends.”

Kihyun laughed. “I don’t mind wearing a plug for you, just keep in mind that there is no way in hell I’d be sleeping with one in me. It is literally impossible. Highly sensitive ass right here, if you hadn’t noticed. You’re just going to have to go about your business late at night knowing your boyfriend is writhing in bed, wet and fevered, waiting for you to fill him up with what he really needs.”

Hyunwoo groaned. “Fuck, baby.” He could picture it, too. Kihyun, desperate in his red silk sheets, trying to focus on some report, eyes drifting to the clock over and over, wondering when he’d come.

Hyunwoo leveled him with a look. “You realize it is you that has all the control, right?”

Kihyun grinned proudly. “I got you good with that one, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” Hyunwoo conceded.

“But, I’m giving you the control. The when and whether you’ll come and relieve me would drive me fucking insane.”

“Whether?”

“I don’t mind denial. You’re in charge of the when, how and where. Just keep in mind I’ll become increasingly more clingy the longer you put it off.”

Hyunwoo hummed, considering leaving Kihyun desperate, unfulfilled. It’s definitely not something that would have crossed his mind before, but now that Kihyun planted the thought, it started to take root.

His eyes searched Kihyun’s. His boyfriend was, at once, both turned on and comforted by not having control. Being the head of the medical department was stressful, required taking charge and making decisions all day long. At times, he held people’s lives in his hands. Hyunwoo could see the appeal of having no duties, no purpose, other than to listen and obey someone else.  
Hyunwoo smiled. “What are your thoughts on cock cages? Wouldn’t want you starting without me.”

Kihyun bit his lip and nodded minutely.

“Words, Ki.” He could tell from Kihyun’s breathing he was on board.

“I’ve never used one...but, if you locked my cock up and held the key...the thought alone makes me crazy.”

“I have a feeling next week is going to be incredibly hard for you.” Taking in Kihyun’s excited breathing and eyes, he chuckled and sat them both up. He shook his head at the stickiness on both of them. “For now, let’s get cleaned up and go to bed. I need rest if I’m going to wake you up with cock and pancakes.”

Kihyun dimpled. “Yes, Sir.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  


Kihyun was curled into his side, dead to the world. His nose instinctively turned up towards his armpit after he had fallen asleep. His poofy hair tickled his side and he smiled at the mass of frizzy hair. After losing a bet in the shower, Kihyun’s punishment was to let Hyunwoo dry his hair for him. Now, Hyunwoo wasn’t sure why he had a blow dryer in his bathroom. He belatedly realized it was Hyolyn’s from a visit a couple years ago, but he did enjoy Kihyun’s increasingly horrified face as he absolutely massacred his pretty hair.

Hyunwoo wished he could join Kihyun in sleep, but now that his lover wasn’t awake to distract him, the enlightening horrors Unit X discovered this week plagued his mind.

Was this mission to Siren Galaxy an exploratory expedition? Absolutely. Was it more than met the naked eye? Yes. It was that, too. It was the unnerving confirmation that much of the debris in the numerous asteroid fields were new. Not a thousand years ago, not even a hundred years ago, but an estimation of seven years. The destroyed debris of planets and moons scientifically dated not even a decade old. This amount of destruction didn’t happen naturally. It was his opinion, echoed by the rest of Unit X, that destruction on this scale was man-made. Destruction that was eerily similar the moon that housed Starbase Kcorlehs.

Years after forming Unit X, under the wing of Section 31, they were finally honing in on some answers, some proof that Kcorlehs wasn’t felled by a dying star, but an attack. All those people, his mother, taken too early from this universe by an act of terror, not some freak natural disaster. At the moment, X’s hope was to discover some kind of thumbprint left on one of the world’s here; something that could hint or point to the ones who did it, why they did it and how they did it. How does one trigger the death of a star without notice? That kind of technology and knowledge didn’t belong in the hands that currently held it.

Minhyuk, though blind to Unit X, was prompted with this very question during his interview. The question impressed him and Hyunwoo believed it to be one of the reasons the brilliant scientist took the position. Over the years, Dr. Lee had come up with some promising hypotheses, but has yet to find the answer, though not for lack of trying.

Hyunwoo stared at the ceiling. If they could find and bring the ones responsible to justice, he’d wash his hands of Section 31 in a heartbeat. He knew it wasn’t as easy as just walking away from 31. Though he hoped delivering a feat on this scale would aid his request to dissolve Unit X and its place under Section 31. This life of deception, darkness, torture, murder, he didn’t want it. Not for himself, not for his friends, not for the other crewmates. It was a necessary evil. A temporary evil.

Kihyun grunted into skin, worming a little down his body until his forehead and nose pressed into his lower side. Hyunwoo huffed a silent laugh. At this rate, Kihyun would be using his crotch as a pillow by morning.

Hyunwoo looked down at him, arranging the covers to blanket Kihyun’s back. Pushing the dark thoughts to the back on his mind, he took a deep breath, feeling each point of contact between their bodies. Besides, there was more to life than revenge and lies. Settling his fingers into Kihyun’s hair, he finally closed his eyes.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mm.”

The water of the jacuzzi swirled around his body. It was almost uncomfortably hot and when he opened his eyes; he discovered he wasn’t in a tub, but a hot spring. Specifically, the one he visited on Terlesia. He stood up and looked around, not finding anyone in sight, not even his own clothes.

Confused, he lowered down into the spring until his chin hit the water. He tried to remember how he got here. Did he fall asleep in the spring? That was stupidly dangerous.

Maybe the others left early, eager to return to their Shia. He wanted to get out and investigate, but the absence of clothing made him stay put. Perhaps his friends were playing a prank. He couldn’t walk naked back to the castle, they’d have to come back, eventually.

“Guys! This isn’t funny!”

He turned in a slow 360, not seeing or hearing anything. He huffed and settled against a rock. Well, if they thought he was going to waste his time stressing and freaking out, they had another thing coming. He looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was rising, not setting. That gave him pause. He was here overnight? That wasn’t possible.

Kihyun moaned involuntarily as the water jetted between his ass cheeks and he shuddered. Why was this hot spring so active? It wasn’t like this before. He moved away from the propulsion of the water, but it followed him.

“Oh, my god,” he stuttered along with his heart. He found himself turning to face the smooth rocks at the edges, legs stumbling in the water at the incessant rush of water against his hole. He had intended to use the rocks and climb out, but once his arms finally reached them, he found he couldn’t or didn’t want to. The water hit his rim so perfectly, he stilled, letting it. He licked his lips. Was this wrong? One couldn’t exactly take advantage of a hot spring, could they?

A new moan echoed in the empty clearing as his front was hit with the force of the water as well. He stayed perfectly still, letting and wanting the water to continue. He should be quiet, he didn’t want anyone to follow the noise here, but it was hitting him so well, he couldn’t stop.

As he was reaching the inevitable crescendo, something probed inside his hole. Holy fuck! There was something in the water. He moved to pull himself out, but found himself anchored in place.

Oh, god! This was just how Minhyuk’s tentacle porn started. He was going to die. He was going to cum and die.

“Oh!” Fuck that felt good. Whatever it was squirmed inside him. It was both soft and firm. It left him and he heard a calming wind through the trees and the tentacle was back, pushing back into him, teasing his loosening muscle. He breathed heavily against the rock. Oh, man, he was all kinds of sick. He was letting some random hot spring monster have its way with him. If he died from this, he deserved it. This monster had him looser than Minhyuk’s lips after a bottle of Hennessey.

The squirmy thing withdrew again. He was so bereft at the loss, he widened his legs, hoping it would come back.

...Something bigger, harder came back. Shit, it really was a tentacle monster. It bumped against his hole and Kihyun was horrified that his ass pushed towards it, welcoming it. _What the fuck, ass?_

It breached. It was big, stretching him wide, but it was slippery and glided in slowly but surely. Kihyun breathed through it, accommodating the tentacle. It began thrusting shortly, staying almost entirely rooted inside him.

“Please,” he begged.

He felt an answering caress up his back as the rustling wind through the leaves picked up. Then, the monster pulled back and rushed forward again.

Kihyun gasped and opened his eyes. Eggshell walls, handsome furniture, crisp white sheets. Another moan was punched out of him as he was impaled once again. Hyunwoo.

He was on his stomach, clutching a pillow.

The thrusting stopped and Hyunwoo’s body lowered over him. “Finally.” Hyunwoo littered soft kisses behind his ear, along his neck. “I’ve been calling you for at least ten minutes now. Where have you been?”

Kihyun sighed. “You’re not a tentacle monster.”

“No,” Hyunwoo murmured, kissing his jaw. “Is this another kink I need to be made aware of?”

Kihyun craned his neck to meet Hyunwoo for a quick kiss. “Is this my cock and pancakes wake-up call?”

“Yes. It concerns me more than I can say that you didn’t answer that.”

Kihyun’s laugh turned into a shuddering gasp, loving how he tightened around Hyunwoo’s thick cock in doing so.

Hyunwoo nipped gently at his shoulder. “My ego’s a little hurt that you slept through my superb rim job.”

“I didn’t miss it. You’re my tentacle monster.”

Hyunwoo sucked in an unsure breath and tilted his head. “We may need to have some words later.” He curled over Kihyun and fucked into him.

Kihyun moaned. “Later,” he agreed. “Hyunwoo, please, harder.”

“No. I’m going to give it to you slow and gentle. Sit tight, sleeping beauty, enjoy the ride.”

“Yes, Sir,” he sighed.

Kihyun was good for him. Let Hyunwoo rock into him for what seemed like forever. It was so damn good. Then, Hyunwoo turned him onto his side and spooned him, fucking into him at the most perfect angle as Hyunwoo lifted Kihyun’s leg up high and out of the way.  
Kihyun reached a hand for his cock. Hyunwoo would definitely need to change his sheets after this.

“No, baby. Stay with me.”

Kihyun withdrew his hand. It didn’t matter. He was going to cum like this, anyway. It was slow, but deliberate. His sweet spot received the most delicious rub each time. He felt the thrumming throb of his walls against Hyunwoo’s fat cock. He let out a sleepy sigh, smiling. If he was woken up like this every day, his reputation would be something else entirely.

“Don’t come, yet.” Hyunwoo sped up, thrusting harder.

Kihyun whined and regulated his breathing, it didn’t stop the building orgasm inside him. “Hyunwoo, I can’t.”

“You can. Almost there,” he grunted. His skin slapped against Kihyun a little harder.

He really couldn’t and about twenty seconds later, he came. His leg shook in Hyunwoo’s hand as his hand shot down to his cock as if he could stop and undo it happening.

Hyunwoo shook his head. His boyfriend had absolutely zero say in what his poor, overly sensitive body did. Kihyun’s clamping walls almost sent him over, but when he loosened again, Hyunwoo continued, racing after his own pleasure. Kihyun groaned underneath him, Hyunwoo’s jackrabbit pace at odds with Kihyun’s post orgasm lethargy.

“Hyunwoo, come in me again. I want it inside me.”

Hyunwoo was hardly going to refuse such a gracious offer and when that spike hit, he released splurge after splurge in those hot walls. He laid down and stayed inside, wanting to prolong this a little longer.

“Good morning.” He kissed the hair at the back of Kihyun’s head, pulling his back closer to his front.

Kihyun smiled sleepily. “Good morning.”

Hyunwoo nuzzled in, teasing Kihyun’s sensitive neck with morning bristles.

“Tentacle monsters?”

“I swear, it’s not a thing,” Kihyun said.

“Mm-hmm,” Hyunwoo teased, distrust in his tone.

“It’s not!” Kihyun exclaimed.

“Whatever you say, babe.”

“Captain,” Kihyun said succinctly. “Go make me some fucking pancakes.”

Hyunwoo chuckled, kissing the crown of his head. “As you wish.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kihyun got off the turbolift and walked down the hall to the Science Labs. A Venti Machiato warmed his hand. He missed his friend. If the ship was busy this week, it was nothing compared to Minhyuk. Kihyun was in charge of several divisions as the Chief Medical Officer, from oncology and anesthesiology to dermatology and genetics, just to name a few.

Minhyuk, on the other hand, had an unending plethora of teams under him that quadrupled Kihyun’s department. Tactical was the only other division on par with the size of Minhyuk’s department.

The doors opened for him and he turned left to the offices, nodding to a few scientists as he passed. Minhyuk’s office, like all the others here were glass. Thankfully, practicing medicine required confidentiality and he didn’t have to work in such an open, transparent environment. As he approached, Minhyuk brightened, waving him in.

Kihyun passed the threshold.

“Please tell me that's for me,” Minhyuk stated.

“Yes, but it will cost you one night in with your lonely, abandoned friend tonight.”

“Deal.” Minhyuk took the cup and breathed in the rich sweet steam with closed eyes. After taking a sip, he opened one eye speculatively. “Lonely and abandoned? I figured you'd be twisted in Captain's sheets all week long.”

Kihyun sprawled in the chair across from Minhyuk. “Not as often as you'd think.”

“Trouble in paradise so soon?”

“Not trouble. Exhaustion. He doesn't want to bother me too late and when he does...he's so beat, I don't have the heart to take anything from him. I just tuck him in next to me, kiss him and we sleep.”

Minhyuk smiled. “That's sweet.”

“It is,” Kihyun agreed. “I know it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. I don't need to have sex 24/7 or anything. I'm happy he comes over, even if it's just to sleep. I've woken up to his mouth around me almost every day. It's awesome, but, when I try to reciprocate, he says there's not time and that he doesn't need anything and I'm left feeling awful.”

Kihyun kicked his heels against the floor, pouting. “I think he feels guilty. I mean, am I getting guilty blow jobs every morning?”

“Guilt-inspired fellatio. There's a concept.”

“Why do I feel like the worst boyfriend in the universe?”

Minhyuk rolled his eyes. “Don't be so maudlin. He probably does feel guilty. Think about it. You're the first person he's been with that is always close by. His past relationships worked because they were on different ships or stationed somewhere far away. Encounters were minimal and thus never interfered. You're just on the next floor and he can't even make it for dinner.”

Kihyun's brow drew down in distress. “I've become another chore for him.”

Minhyuk shook his head. “No, not a chore, a responsibility. It's in his nature to see you like that. It's what he does.”

“Well, he's making me feel like a crappy, greedy boyfriend.”

“Then you need to tell him that before this becomes habitual.” Minhyuk shrugged. “Though, I’d take the morning fellatio even if it was born from guilt.”

Kihyun sighed. “Why are you right all the time?”

Minhyuk propped his feet on the desk. “I’m a genius. Have the tests to prove it.”

Kihyun took in the files scattered over his desk. “Anything I can do for you?”

“Nah. It looks like I’m going crazy, but I've got it under control. Come over tonight. We'll veg out and find things to complain about.”

“Okay. If you need more caffeine, I'll come running.”

“I've got underlings to do that for me babe, but thanks for this.” He swiveled in his chair to pick up a report from the ground.

“Lee Minhyuk!”

Minhyuk popped back up and put a hand to the back of his neck, caught.

“What is that?”

Minhyuk gave him a look. “You're a medical professional, take a guess.”

Kihyun went to stand behind him and examined the almost artfully placed hickies in a horizontal line across the back of his neck. “You found him?”

Minhyuk cringed. “No.”

“Then who did this?”

Minhyuk sighed. “I don't know.”

“Minhyuk!”

“This is why I didn't tell you, because you get all judgey.”

“But, it's him or, I mean, her?”

“Definitely a him.”

Kihyun ran a finger lightly across the line and Minhyuk shuddered. “He got you really good.”

“It's just a few love bites.”

“A few love bites? It looks like he tried to decapitate you with his mouth. Come by sickbay, I'll get rid of them.”

Minhyuk put a protective hand over them. “No. I like them. Besides, they might help suss out the perpetrator.”

“How?” Kihyun deadpanned.

“Seeing how people react to them.”

“Min. You're an attractive bisexual man with a renowned sexual appetite. People are going to look at you the way they always look at you, with want.”

“You're so sweet.”

“That wasn't meant as a compliment!”

“Would you relax? I've got a plan. Next time there's a party, I'll just pretend to be drunk. Whoever this is is too shy to approach me when I'm sober.”

“You're making the assumption that it's them approaching you when it could be you approaching them.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“That maybe you are not acknowledging your own desires.”

“About what?”

“About who,” Kihyun corrected.

“That's hogwash. If there was someone I wanted, I would just go fuck them. No boos required.”

“So, you're going to sleep with anyone who comes on to you until you find your artist?”

“Oh, don't look at me like that.” Minhyuk scowled. “It's pretty much what I do anyway.”

Kihyun huffed. When Min had his mind made up, there was no talking him out of it. “Fine. A word of advice? You want to keep those marks, steer clear of Captain and Commander Lee. There's no way in hell they'd let a Chief Officer walk around like that.”

Kihyun shook his head and headed for the door. “Christ, we’ve got our very own Hester Prynne,” he mumbled.

“I heard that!” Minhyuk threw a stress ball at his back.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Alright. Thank you. That concludes this meeting. Keep your eyes peeled on B8246 tomorrow. If my council will remain.”

As Unit X rose and pushed in their chairs, Hoseok and Hyunwoo went to the bar to get some coffee.

“Earth 2.0,” Hyungwon corrected.

“You realize it’s never going to be called that,” Changkyun said.

“Let the crew have some fun, Kyun,” Hoseok said.

Changkyun closed the opened tab on the computer. “I’m all for fun, but if the crew really wants to name all these new planets, they should come up with something better. The Federation isn’t going to sign off on Zeus’s Fart and Lactating Nipple.”

Hyunwoo grinned and returned to his chair. At least the crew was enjoying this expedition into the vast unknowns of Siren. They’ve certainly explored some interesting planets the last few weeks. Dr. Yoo had some curious cases walk into sickbay recently.

Tomorrow’s B8246 was promising for Starfleet. Given the initial data taken from the ship’s sensors, Hyunwoo would bet a year’s salary Starfleet would sanction a base here the next couple years. The furthest one yet.

Hoseok took a seat. “What’s on the agenda, Captain. I thought we covered everything.”

Hyunwoo turned the mug on the table until the Starfleet emblem was centered perfectly outward. He tapped the sides, thinking. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but Unit X wasn’t a dictatorship. It was a band of brothers and sisters who trusted each other with their lives. He may be in charge, but everyone had a voice here.

“Several weeks ago, I was approached by a member of our unit regarding Jooheon and the contribution he could make to our team. I would like your thoughts.”

“I don’t see what there is to think about. He’d be an asset,” Hyungwon responded. “I mean, no offense to Shrier, he’s great, but what took him a couple months to decode would have taken Jooheon a couple days.”

Changkyun shook his head. “He undoubtedly has a lot to offer, but I can’t see it. The things we are sometimes called upon to do, he wouldn’t be okay with it. Do you honestly see him functioning normally the day after he’s unlocked a facility to facilitate an assassination? Hacking into people’s personal lives for blackmail?”

“I disagree. He can do it. He may have qualms at first, but he’d work through them. We all did,” Hoseok responded.

“Please. We all have very different backgrounds from Jooheon. If we were to take your reasoning, we may as well invite Minhyuk and Kihyun to the table,” Changkyun argued.

Hoseok lifted his hand carelessly. “Well, why not? I, for one, can think of countless times a doctor would have come in handy. I don’t really enjoy being sewn up in some back-alley shack on whatever backwater planet when we have a state of the art medical facility and one of the most sought after surgeons on our own ship.”

“We are not talking about Dr. Lee or Dr. Yoo. We are talking about Jooheon. Let’s not get off topic,” Hyunwoo interrupted.

Changkyun turned to Hyunwoo. “What are your thoughts?”

Hyunwoo leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen on the desk. “I’m torn,” Hyunwoo said. “Looking at his resume alone, I would say yes. However, as Captain, I don’t really want anything to distract him from his own work. We all know the toll this role can take on you. Changkyun is right, Jooheon is naive in so many ways. My fear is that he would want out and we all know _out_ is tricky.”

“I agree,” Changkyun added.

Hoseok sighed. “This isn’t like you guys. You’re thinking like a brother, a friend, but this is Section 31. There is no room for that here. If the person in question wasn’t Jooheon, but someone else with the same skills, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.”

Hyunwoo licked his lips. “Let’s be honest. Being a part of this team requires more than skills, it requires a certain mindset, one I am not convinced Jooheon has or is even capable of having.”

Hyungwon blew out a tired breath. “He’s not a baby. You’re doing him a disservice by saying no and denying him the chance to make a real impact. He can handle it.”

“If he doesn’t have the mindset now, he’ll learn to have it. None of us were born with it, we adapted until it was second nature,” Hoseok said.

‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,’ Hyunwoo thought, but Hoseok was right. He was this team’s leader and he shouldn’t be thinking of this personally.

Hyunwoo pressed his lips together and clicked the pen a few times before setting it on the desk. “Okay. I will broach the subject with him sometime this week.”

Changkyun grimaced, but nodded, resigned with the decision.

“That was all I had,” Hyunwoo said. “Have a good night.”

They exited the room together and just like that, the personas of Section 31 dropped.

Hoseok side-eyed Hyunwoo. “How are things going with Kihyun? You’ve nearly made it to one month.”

Changkyun looked over, interested. “Congratulations.”

Hyunwoo’s smile was instantaneous. “Can’t complain.”

“That’s all we get?” Hoseok exclaimed. “Can’t complain. Come on.”

“What do you want me to say? It’s not like you don’t know the man.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “That’s why we’re curious. Yoo is a brat, picky, temperamental and you, outward appearances aside, are a teddy bear at heart. How does that work?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head. It was strange to hear Yoo described that way now, after having Kihyun reveal more and more of himself as the days went by. Yes, he was those things, but he was the sweetest, kindest person he’d ever met. This morning, he woke up to warm hands massaging his stiff shoulder and soft kisses on his back.

Changkyun whistled at Hyunwoo’s far off expression. “He’s got you wrapped around his awkward little pinky, doesn’t he?”

“Absolutely,” Hyunwoo agreed without missing a beat.

“Hmm. What is Yoo Kihyun to Son Hyunwoo?” Hoseok pondered aloud as they boarded the turbolift.

“A contradiction,” Hyunwoo answered. “Deck Four.”

A chorus of obnoxious ‘Ays’ filled the lift as Kihyun’s floor passed Hyunwoo’s lips.

“Shut it.” Hyunwoo’s tone didn’t match the grin on his face.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All crews beamed down to B8246, a.k.a. Earth 2.0, at precisely 8:00 a.m. under a heavy canopied forest blocking the morning sky from view. It was an apt name for the planet. Looking around, Kihyun would have guessed this was Earth if he didn’t know any better. The trees looked eerily similar to the sycamore, birch and oak from back home. He almost wondered if the samples would prove them to be the same.

The air was rich with the smell of petrichor. It must have rained overnight. Kihyun looked over at Hoseok. “May as well get the samples available here contained and sent back up before moving on.”

“You’re the boss.” Hoseok and a few of his men spread out, checking the area.

“Am I?” Kihyun asked cheekily.

Hoseok laughed. “Hell, no.”

Kihyun sent an answering smile and conversed with his team, distributing assignments. They’d become pros at this over the last month and before long they were spread out, immersed in their respective tasks.

They cleared the area a couple hours later and headed out from the canopied forest. Minhyuk and Kihyun talked about the shrubbery and trees, their similarity, what conditions and elements were needed to produce such a mirrored world. They were so deep inside their musings and theories they already passed the forest line and were walking into a valley outside. When Kihyun finally took a moment to register his surroundings, an ominous chill traveled down his spine and twisted his gut.

Minhyuk continued forward, explaining the combination and timing of elements that would have had to exist for these conditions. “-What do you think?”

Minhyuk looked at the empty space beside him, then turned, spotting Kihyun twenty feet back. “Ki?”

The universe was infinite. This was a fact. The fact there are world’s similar to others is widely known and, statistically speaking, likely. Kihyun told himself this. Looking up at the three moons, he told himself any millions of planets could have three pink-tinged moons and familiar trees. The tingles running across his scalp and down his arms weren’t interested in the facts.

“Earth 2.0 to Kihyun,” Minhyuk called.

“Dr. Yoo! Stay with the team, please.” Hoseok motioned him forward at the top of the hill with the majority of the group.

“Coming!” He jogged to meet Minhyuk, and they huffed up the steep hill.

“Okay?” Min questioned.

It was impossible he had been here before. It took them eight months to reach this galaxy.

“Mm.” Kihyun nodded. “Deja-vu.”

One thing was certain, he wasn’t about to open his mouth. Hoseok, Changkyun and Hyunwoo already had doubts he even saw the man at the ceremony, to the point he began to doubt it himself. They already thought he had a screw loose. _Poor, fragile Kihyun; the experience was just too much for him._ He wasn’t about to pour oil onto the fire. There wasn’t any need to, he told himself. This wasn’t that place. It couldn’t be. The facts spoke for themselves.

He pasted a smile on and looked at Minhyuk with a commiserating face. He lunged up the steep hill and groaned. “Is it lunchtime yet?”

Over time, Kihyun was able to numb that niggling feeling at the back of his head. He worked and toiled among the rest of the team until lunch, where they beamed back to the ship and the second shift replaced them down below for the rest of the day. Kihyun returned to sickbay for afternoon appointments and a couple sonograms. In five months time, he’d be putting his pediatric skills to good use. His excitement rivaled the mothers’.

It was with that happy excitement; he retired to his quarters. He showered, put on comfy pajamas, and settled in for a lazy night on the couch with a cup of chamomile. Hyunwoo would be helping that leech, Triste, in the holodeck again tonight.

It figured that man would be that cause of their first fight. After Kihyun inadvertently exposed himself as the jealous, insecure boyfriend that he was and practically accused Hyunwoo of cheating without using those precise words, they finally came to a compromise.

Hyunwoo patiently, but adamantly explained he couldn’t outright ignore the dreams of a crewmate, especially when they came forward asking for help. The young man had his sights on joining the Captain’s Program when they returned. That required a lot of work since he only came to this realization several months ago. He was behind and unprepared. Realistically, years behind. A limit of three nights per week, where Hyunwoo could train with the pretty Ensign. That was their agreement.

Behind the scenes, Elon put two and two together and realized his reduced time with the Captain was Kihyun’s fault and the bitch had the audacity to apologize to him for stealing Hyunwoo away so often. _Hyunwoo_ , not Captain. Had gone as far to offer the advice that a Captain needs to have autonomy over his schedule and when others make demands, it retracts from his duties and places more stress on the Captain. Kihyun saw red. It took all his patience not to scream at the little leech that _he_ was the one making demands for the past eight months, not Kihyun.

Kihyun was a doctor and, thus, swore to do no harm. So, he didn’t scoop out those pretty green eyes with his spoon like he so dearly wanted. “Thanks, Elon. What sage advice. I’ll remind him next time he’s fucking me for two hours too long.”

The blond’s eyes widened and he backed away. “You shouldn’t speak that way about the captain so publicly.”

When the ensign was out of earshot, Minhyuk turned back to Kihyun. “Jooheon’s been telling me there’s a glitch in Bay Eight’s airlock.”

“Good to know.”

It’s not that he really thought Hyunwoo would do anything with the man, but insecurity was a thing. A big, looming, malevolent thing. Elon was beautiful. Slender, but muscled. A cheery personality that everyone adored with a positive ‘go get’em’ attitude that, frankly, exhausted Kihyun. Then, there was him: cold, ornery Dr. Yoo. Sometimes, he wondered what Hyunwoo saw in him. Wouldn’t someone like Elon be more suited for Hyunwoo?

Outside sex, he wasn’t sure what else he could offer. Maybe he should tell him how he felt. He cringed. It felt too much like a response to Elon to do it right now. He didn’t want that two-faced jezebel to be the catalyst of his confession. It tainted the whole thing. He didn’t want to do it as a ploy to make Hyunwoo stay either.

Minhyuk told him he had too much time on his hands to be making up all this bullshit. ‘Where was Hyunwoo going to go?’ Minhyuk asked incredulously. There might be something to that, but wasn’t it natural to over-think the things you cared about the most?

He almost said it couple days ago. Completely by accident. Hyunwoo leaned in to kiss him goodbye in the morning and instead of saying goodbye, ‘Love you’ was on the tip on his tongue. It shook him how easily it surfaced. Sprouted forth as innocently as ‘goodbye’ or ‘have a nice day.’

It was hardest when they were having sex. Kihyun was feeling too much: physically, emotionally, mentally. He wanted Hyunwoo to know how much he meant to him, how wonderful and perfect he made him feel. He didn’t think he could ignore this urge to tell him much longer. It became this visceral need over the weeks and it almost hurt at times, denying himself this connection to Hyunwoo.

It was a problem. He felt a disconnect. No matter how deeply he kissed Hyunwoo, no matter how long they snuggled on the couch and talked about nothing and everything, there was something missing. He felt incomplete, but didn’t understand why, only that it was eating him from the inside out.

He should say it, right? Hyunwoo loved to compliment him until he was all butterflies and goop. Hyunwoo was schmoopy like that. He’d probably appreciate a confession.

...But, things were light right now. Easy. Once you speak ‘love’ into the equation, the math gets complicated. What if it wasn’t reciprocated? Kihyun tipped the teacup up against his lips and forlornly realized he already finished it. He sighed, placing it on the table and pulling the blanket over his head. He groaned.

If Hyunwoo did see him as a responsibility, wouldn’t a confession make him that much heavier? He’d go from being a responsibility to a burden. He was blowing this out of proportion. He knew that. Could physically hear Minhyuk calling him a dumbass all the way from the Science Labs.

Ugh. Love sucked. Why did he want it to begin with? Things were practically perfect right now. Hyunwoo toyed with his heart, body and mind like he was made for it. Sometimes achingly affectionate and sweet, other times challenging and hard. He’d switch back and forth between them so much and so quickly to the point Kihyun wasn’t even sure which one he wanted more, just that he needed him.

His door beeped. He instructed the computer to let Minhyuk in.

“Don’t you look pitiful. Is this what you do when I’m away? Pine and count the hours.”

Kihyun scrambled up to his feet and drew the blanket off his head. “Captain?!”

Hyunwoo grinned, toeing off his boots.

“I thought you were busy tonight.”

“Canceled. A little birdy told me you were a bit lost today on the surface. Everything alright?”

“Just an off day,” Kihyun digressed.

Hyunwoo nodded and approached him, taking the doctor’s face in his hands and planting a quick kiss on his lips.

“You should warn me when you’re coming over.” Kihyun looked down at himself. He looked about as appealing as a potato right now dressed down in his baggiest pajamas.

“What for?”

“So I can look nice.”

“You always look nice. But, if you want to impress me, go ahead. I’ll close my eyes.”

Kihyun’s lips lifted at the side. He pushed Hyunwoo onto the couch. “Stay there. Eyes closed.” Kihyun waved his hand in front of the captain’s face to ensure he wasn’t cheating.

Hyunwoo sensed the movement through his lids and smiled. “I won’t look. Promise.”

“Okay.” Kihyun moved to his dresser and opened a drawer. He really hadn’t the time to wear any of these yet; Hyunwoo always crept into his bed after he was sleeping. “How was your day?” he called out to the living room.

“Fine. Better now.”

“Trying to butter me up?” Kihyun started stripping.

Hyunwoo laughed. “It doesn’t take much.”

“Funny.” Kihyun chose a silky pale pink thong and matching bralette. In a flash of inspiration he pulled out a thin black leather choker. “So, who tattletaled on me? Min?”

“Hoseok,” Hyunwoo corrected. “Said he had to call you multiple times throughout the day to get your attention. Tired?”

“Distracted,” Kihyun allowed, not wanting to talk about it. “Am I in trouble?” He put on the bralette.

Hyunwoo’s eyebrows were expressive even with his eyes closed. “Do you want to be in trouble?”

Kihyun peaked out into the living room, intrigued. “...I suppose some disciplinary action wouldn’t be unwarranted.”

Hyunwoo wiped his palms down his splayed thighs. This was so much better than a night in the holodeck with Elon. He couldn’t even see Kihyun and he was getting hard. “I must say, I agree. You need to listen to your commanding officer out in the field. It’s for your own safety.”

Kihyun grinned. This was perfect. He could give Hyunwoo the reigns and just follow his lead. No thinking involved. Feeling daring, he opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a plug. He lubed the plug and his rim and relaxed, bracing an arm and forehead against the dresser. He pushed it in, closing his eyes and opening his mouth as it breached and the jeweled handle settled in between his cheeks.

“Are you putting on _more_ clothes? What’s taking so long?”

Kihyun bent to slide the thong up and gasped at plug. “Almost done.”

Walking to the bathroom was....interesting. He blotted his favorite red stain onto his lips and dabbed a sweet musk oil to his neck, wrists and inside his thighs. He walked to the middle of the living room, between the couch and holoscreen, and adopted the Starfleet posture: feet approximately shoulder width apart and hands at his lower back.

“Okay.”

Hyunwoo opened his eyes and immediately felt like something was blocking his breath. He opened his mouth then closed it, running a hand through his hair.

“A little better than ‘nice?’” Kihyun ventured.

Hyunwoo cleared his throat. “Yes. Better than nice.”

Kihyun smiled. “So, what-”

“Come here,” Hyunwoo interrupted.

Yes. This was precisely what the doctor ordered, Kihyun thought. Just let Hyunwoo take control. All he’d have to do was listen, feel and obey. He walked to stand in front of his captain. Hyunwoo hooked a finger inside his choker and pulled his face down, kissing him.

“You are so beautiful.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

With a finger still hooked in his choker, his other hand reached between his legs and traveled up his crack until they brushed the jeweled handle. Hyunwoo grinned. “I thought that was an awkward walk.”

Hyunwoo played with the jewel, jostling and twisting the plug inside him. Kihyun’s eyes closed at the feeling.

“Don’t tell me this is why you were distracted today.”

“No, Sir. I wouldn’t have made it through the day.”

Hyunwoo smoothed a hand over his backside. “What were you going to do tonight?”

Kihyun shrugged. “Watch a couple programs, read, take a bath if I was feeling real fancy.”

“Then, get comfortable.”

“Wha-? Captain,” Kihyun chastised. “I didn’t put this on to get comfortable.”

“I want to spend a normal night in with my boyfriend. Humor me.”

Kihyun sighed, grabbed the remote and snuggled in next to Hyunwoo. He turned his head up to Hyunwoo and eyed him speculatively as he turned the holoscreen on. “You are going to put it in me tonight, right?”

Hyunwoo looked up at the evening sky of the holoceiling. “My boyfriend, the charmer.”

“Hyunwoo...”

“Yes. Anything you want.”

With that, Kihyun squished his cheek into Hyunwoo’s bicep and flipped to the evening news.

“The news?” Hyunwoo questioned.

“I’m a worldly guy, and you said normal. This is normal.” Kihyun focused on the screen, though half his mind was on the silicone up his ass and warm body beside him. The warm body that kept looking at him.

“Captain?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you not want to watch the news?”

“Sorry. A little distracted by this get up you have on.”

“I’m ready to move this night along whenever you are.”

“Nope.”

Kihyun’s chin wrinkled in distaste. He plopped a pillow on Hyunwoo’s lap and laid his head down, returning to the news.

“Play with my hair,” Kihyun demanded.

Fingers delved into his locks, combing through his strands and massaging his scalp.

“You’re good at this,” Kihyun sighed.

Hyunwoo made a noncommittal sound, having returned to the news while his fingers were on autopilot. Kihyun didn’t bother paying attention and closed his eyes, drifting into the pleasure-filled darkness.

“Babe?”

“Huh?” Kihyun tried.

“What’s next?”

Kihyun opened his eyes. The program was over. “Do we have to?”

“Fine. Let’s move onto...reading, you said?”

“You really want me to read with this thing up my ass?”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “I really do.”

Kihyun grumbled to himself and blindly reached into the cushions for his tablet. When he pulled it out, he looked at Hyunwoo. “You don’t have a tablet, do you? Take mine.”

“What will you read?” Hyunwoo asked, accepting the computer.

Kihyun nodded to the bookcases. “There’s a lot I haven’t read.” He stood and walked over, feeling every step and hoping Hyunwoo got bored quickly. He perused some of the newer items on the shelves and his fingers stopped on the antique textbook he purchased on Terlesia. He pulled it from its home and ran fingers over the gilt edges. This should be enticing.

Hyunwoo smiled to himself and returned his eyes to the tablet before Kihyun turned around. There was probably a special place in hell for him for teasing Kihyun as much as he did. He couldn’t help it. Getting Kihyun desperate and wet was never going to grow old.

Kihyun returned to the couch and sat at the end, he propped his feet up at the center of the couch and Hyunwoo followed suit, covering Kihyun’s feet with his own. Kihyun didn’t look up, but a brilliant smile stretched his cheeks and his toes wiggled as he opened a book, hidden by his raised thighs. Hyunwoo had no idea how he was going to read with such temptation within reach, all that skin waiting to be tasted. But, he was good at acting and he was going to wait for Kihyun to break down first.

Kihyun flipped through the introduction, noting the emphasis on service over and over again until he got into the juicier sections. Okay. Maybe this wasn’t the best selection, he thought, squeezing around the plug and feeling a bit warm. All this literature about being a vessel for their masters’ pleasure was turning him on.

“Hyunwoo.”

“Yes?” Hyunwoo said, not looking up.

“Did you know Shia in training will go months without orgasm until their own pleasure is less than an afterthought, until it doesn’t even occur to them to do anything about it?”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “What in god’s name are you reading?”

“It’s an anthropological endeavor,” he defended.

“Sure it is.”

Kihyun scowled and returned to the chapter, before looking up at Hyunwoo again. “Well, what are you reading?”

“Latest findings on alternate fuel sources.”

“If I hadn’t so graciously given you my tablet, I’d be catching up with the newest drug testings.”

“Would you?” Hyunwoo asked mildly. “So, if I went into your history...”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Something to hide?”

“No,” Kihyun denied. The last thing he needed Hyunwoo to see was his last search entry, _‘how to tell someone you love them without saying it’_ , or the search entry before that, _‘how to last longer in bed.’_

“Stop,” Kihyun demanded.

“Stop what?”

“Smiling at me.”

“You have a problem with me smiling at you?”

“You’re laughing at me.”

“I am,” Hyunwoo agreed. “What don’t you want me to see, Kihyun? Please tell me it’s not tentacle porn.”

“Oh, my god. I told you. It’s not a thing.”

“Alright,” Hyunwoo said lightly, backing off, and wiggling a finger at the book. “Back to your erotica.”

“It’s not-” Kihyun huffed out a breath and gave up, returning to the _historical_ textbook. He shimmied a foot out from under Hyunwoo’s and placed it over the tanned foot. The air cooled the top of his foot and he shivered.

Starting a new chapter, he got comfortable, imagining it was Hyunwoo inside him as he read the subservient ways of the Shia. He had to admit, it had an appeal, but Kihyun couldn’t imagine every encounter being like that. As much as he liked to please, he was too greedy to maintain that diligent mindset for long.

“Did you know Shia in training sleep at each other’s cores, their mouths at or on the other’s genitalia?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “No, I did not.”

“It’s to train their bodies to respond automatically.” Kihyun cleared his throat. “‘Nights are spent at their brothers’ and sisters’ essence until attention is rendered intuitive even in slumber, licking and sucking as a kitten to its mother’s teat.’”

Hyunwoo raised a brow, but his eyes didn’t stray from the screen in front of him. “Interesting,” he responded. A nice try, he thought to himself. But, if Kihyun wanted his attention, he’d have to crawl over and take it.

“Hyunwoo, how much longer?”

“How long do you usually read?”

Kihyun was hesitant to say an hour to two, afraid it might become tonight’s reality. “Just for a teeny bit.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “You’re such a liar.”

Kihyun groaned. “Are alternate fuel sources really more interesting than your horny boyfriend?”

“They are pretty interesting.”

“You know what? You are such a nerd.”

Hyunwooo still didn’t look up.

Kihyun’s face fell, defeated. Was Hyunwoo already getting bored with him? Here he was, primed and prepped to slide down that blessed pole and Hyunwoo was more intrigued by dilithium alternatives. He’d been with that blond tramp for the past couple nights, left him all alone. Now he was here, came over to see him, just to ignore him.

‘I think fucking not,’ Kihyun declared. _My house, my rules._

He closed the book and set it on the side table behind him. Getting up his knees, he crawled over Hyunwoo and took the tablet from his hands, powering it off and pushing it back into the cushions.

Hyunwoo raised eyes to Kihyun’s. That’s more like it, Hyunwoo thought as Kihyun lowered over him and sealed their lips together. He could kiss Kihyun for days. There were moments Kihyun kissed him that left him reeling, he couldn’t put his finger on it. It disoriented him the first few times, leaving him open and raw and, oddly, unfulfilled.

 _Fuuuck._ Like now. As if Kihyun was pushing him out of his earthly body. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, why something as simple as making out was enough to affect him so deeply. He pulled away gasping, searching Kihyun’s face.

Kihyun opened light blue eyes then closed the distance again, not giving Hyunwoo any time to gather his bearings. This, admittedly, slightly frightening phenomena had been occurring more frequently as of late, and as the sensation returned, he did what he always did. Take control.

He slid a hand down between Kihyun’s cheeks, toying with the jeweled handle.

Kihyun gasped against his lips and moaned when Hyunwoo teased it out unbearably slow, just to thrust it back in. Blue eyes begged him and he did again, fucking his hole with the toy. Before long, it never took long with Kihyun, he felt the wetness on his uniform, Kihyun’s stiff cock against his belly, his breath against his lips.

Pink lips returned to his mouth, kissing and licking, if a little distracted in comparison to before. Kihyun’s hands traveled down his neck, his shoulders. He heard something resembling his name on a sigh, then nothing. Kihyun slumped onto him, a dead weight.

“Ki?” He dropped the plug to the couch and shook the prone form. Shit. “Kihyun?”

Gently rolling Kihyun down to the couch, he crouched on the floor before him. Blue eyes were open, but unfocused. Hyunwoo was at least mildly comforted by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

“Hey, talk to me.” Hyunwoo combed the hair off his forehead, angling his face out towards him. 

Nothing.

Hyunwoo gathered him in his arms and stood up. Fuck. He looked down at Kihyun clad in skimpy lingerie and wet panties. Kihyun would kill him if he brought him into sickbay like this. He walked him over to the bed and laid him down.

Hyunwoo hit his commbadge. “Son to Miyeon. I need assistance in Dr. Yoo's quarters.”

She came six minutes later. For Hyunwoo, it felt like sixty. In those moments before she arrived, he pulled the covers over him and sat down on the edge of the bed, talking to him, holding his hand.

Hyunwoo overrode the computer’s voice analysis lock and let her in. She joined him at Kihyun’s side then politely shooed him away as she took his spot and ran the tricorder over him. She was mumbling something to Kihyun, he distinctly heard ‘not bad, Yoo’ and something that seemed to imply Hyunwoo must be talented behind the curtains as well.

“He’s okay, Sir,” she replied, returning the tricorder to her kit and standing up.

That’s it? “Why is he just laying there like that? He’s not okay.”

“The fact that you’re in his quarters and he’s dressed like that suggests you were mid coitus, correct?”

Coitus? “Uh, yes, but-”

“Patient doctor privilege restricts me from saying anything more, but this will pass.”

“You’re just going to leave? No tests, no scans?”

“Captain. Dr. Yoo is fine. I believe he’d much prefer to come out of this with you at his side over me. Besides, I’m on duty. I’d need to take him to sickbay, which, I assure you, would be the last thing he wants. He’s in good hands. He’s awake, alert even. Can hear everything we’re saying. Can feel your hand on his. He’s just unable to respond at the moment.”

“How long?”

“Can’t say. If he’s still unresponsive in an hour, call me back. We’ll see about trying to medically pull him out. For now, let his body work through this naturally.”

Hyunwoo was speechless. What exactly is ‘this’? However, Miyeon was Kihyun’s doctor. Nobody knew more about his health and biology than her, about what constituted normal and abnormal.

Hyunwoo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Captain.” She looked from Kihyun to Hyunwoo several times before tilting her head slightly then shaking her head.

Hyunwoo was never more grateful for patient-doctor confidentiality. If it were anyone else, it’d be all over the ship by morning. He could only imagine. ‘Did you hear? Captain fucked Yoo into a coma.’ If Hoseok heard, he’d never hear the end of it. ‘So, word has it, your lovemaking is so boring you put the poor doctor to sleep.’

When she left, he undressed to his briefs and undershirt and slipped under the covers. Pulling Kihyun to him at the center, he kissed his temple, propped up on one arm. “You have some explaining to do.”

Kihyun’s arms felt a little cool under his palms. He pulled the duvet over them then crowded Kihyun’s side even more with his body. Absently playing with Kihyun’s fingers under the covers, he began to wonder if Kihyun really did have some explaining to do. Wasn't this what he mentioned back on Terlesia, when those boys took advantage of him? It must be.

Seeing it first hand enraged him even more. Kihyun was completely defenseless right now. That anyone could even think about taking advantage of him while in this state was sickening. Hyunwoo settled a palm over Kihyun's heart and laid down. It took twenty minutes for Kihyun to stir.

“I’m sorry.” Kihyun blinked up at the ceiling and placed a hand over Hyunwoo’s.

“Nothing to be sorry for. Are you okay?”

Kihyun nodded. He was fine. He did, however, feel like a failure of a boyfriend at the moment. He moved to lay atop Hyunwoo under the covers and kissed him, immediately trailing a hand down between them to massage Hyunwoo’s cock.

Hyunwoo pulled away from soft lips. “Kihyun, we should talk.”

Kihyun sighed. He should have known. Retracting his hand, he laid his weight fully on Hyunwoo, forearms resting on his broad chest and propping him up. “Hyunwoo, it’s fine. It happens from time to time. Let me make it up to you.”

Brows turned down in consternation. He examined Kihyun. “You don’t have to make up for anything. Do you think I’m upset? I’m not. I’m worried.”

“That’s sweet, but don’t be.”

“Is that how it usually happens?”

Kihyun stumbled over his thoughts for a moment. He didn't want to alarm Hyunwoo, but didn't want him to turn into a big deal. “Kind of.”

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo breathed on an exasperated sigh.

“Well, I mean, it doesn't last as long and it usually happens when I’m close.”

At Hyunwoo's serious expression, Kihyun continued. “...but, I was feeling pretty damn good, so...”

“How long?”

Kihyun's eyes widened in question.

“How long do they usually last?”

Great. “A few minutes.”

At Hyunwoo's obvious disapproval, he spurred on. “To be fair, my partners never stopped before, seeing as how close we were to the end or maybe they didn’t notice.”

Hyunwoo nearly rolled his eyes. Not notice the most sensitive person he ever met stopped responding? What kind of asshat wouldn't notice?

“Maybe being pushed to climax was what made it stop,” Kihyun said.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not at all...the first couple times it happened, I guess I did get a little scared.” Kihyun almost laughed. “I think Minho must have thought he fucked me dumb. Trust me, it wasn’t that. We were fumbling teenagers with no clue what the hell we were doing.”

Kihyun noticed Hyunwoo didn’t seem to amused by any of this. “Hyunwoo, please don’t make a big deal out this. It hardly ever happens, if it happens at all. I already feel bad for ruining the mood.” Kihyun gave him pleading eyes. “Can’t we continue?”

The last thing Hyunwoo wanted was to make Kihyun feel bad. And, he did have a beautiful, delicious boyfriend laying on top of him looking like an erotic ballerina. “Yes.”

With a gleam in his eyes, Kihyun slid down Hyunwoo’s body, slipped his briefs down and put his mouth on him. Before long, Kihyun was straddling him, bouncing on his cock in ecstasy and whining so hotly, Hyunwoo threw him to the bed to finish the job.

In the aftermath, they cuddled sleepily, a whole two hours before Kihyun’s bedtime. “Can this be my new norm?” Kihyun entwined their fingers.

Hyunwoo smiled, wished he could make that promise. “I shall endeavor to do so.”

Kihyun squeezed his fingers and put a captain’s voice behind his words. “Make it so.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunwoo slipped away in the early morning to get ready without disturbing Kihyun. It was only a difference of thirty to sixty minutes, but Kihyun thought it thoughtful. Even if he would rather be woken up with kisses a half an hour too early.

He went about his morning per usual: a speedy trip to the gym, got ready, coaxed Minhyuk to breakfast and got to his office right on time as always. Even at Medical, all was right and well for a time.

Then, things got weird. An hour into his shift, a scientist from yesterday’s second shift down on planet B8246 was brought it in by her boyfriend, unconscious in his arms.

Kihyun saw him walk in through his window and walked out, interrupting the nurse asking questions. “What happened?”

He laid her down on the biobed as instructed by Nurse Jei and looked at him. “She just wouldn’t wake up. I tried everything.”

Kihyun swallowed, a forbearing sensation rushing down his body. A tricorder showed normal stats and though Kihyun knew it was impossible, he moved Minhyuk’s scientist to her front and checked her spine. Feeling what he hoped he would not feel, he stepped away.

“Nurse Jei. Advise Commander Lee to halt any sampling in or around water until he hears from me.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Kihyun’s eyes drifted to the boyfriend’s name tag. He recognized him, but there were too many people on the ship to remember by name. “Ensign Bershek. Return to your station. We’ll inform you when she wakes.” When Kihyun noticed his hesitance, he put a hand on his arm. “She’ll be fine.”

A brief scan showed what he already thought. Knowing what he was walking into this time, the extraction of the parasite didn’t take long, especially given the proper tools, space and lighting. He handed over the Pitri dish to Intern Marle, who was at his side for assistance. “Marle, take this to the Med Lab. My station. Thank you.”

Taking his time scanning her spinal cord and vertebrae, he distractedly added, “Oh, inform Ensign Bershek that Dr. Foret is resting.”

Kihyun furtively glanced around and, ensuring Foret was comfortable in the biobed, he left sickbay. He didn’t have long before Commander Lee went to Captain Son demanding answers about pressing pause on sampling around the water below.

On the turbolift, he wracked his brain for the right words, and they escaped him. He was going to look exactly like what he was doing-being suspicious. But, he didn’t want the others looking at him like he was crazy until he was 100 percent sure and there was only one other person he could trust that wouldn’t do that. Kihyun reluctantly admitted that was probably because that person was a little fanatic himself, especially about this topic.

The doors opened to the bridge, and he stepped out. Of course, his presence was immediately noted. It’s not that he wasn’t allowed on the bridge, all Chief Officers were, but it was unusual, seeing as how a medical doctor had no business being on it. In fact, whenever Kihyun had been on the bridge before, it was because he’d been ordered to the Captain’s ready room for censure of some kind. The occupants here knew it too, because they looked to the Captain with owlish eyes, expecting something to go down. Not many people could ruffle Captain Son’s feathers, but Kihyun had always been an exception.

“Dr. Yoo, what brings you to the bridge?” Hyunwoo asked, shifting towards him in the Captain’s chair, a brow raised in wait.

Kihyun stood trapped, a foot before the stairs leading down to the helm. His eyes drifted to Hyungwon, who looked back at him with curiosity and amazement at his stupidity.

Wow. He really didn’t think this through.

Kihyun pasted an awkward smile on his face. “Captain,” he acknowledged. “I need to steel Lieutenant Chae for a minute.”

Hyungwon’s eyes widened like he really was off his rocker. Maybe he was.

An unsure, but amused look passed the Captain’s face. “I see.” He licked his lips. “And, why, pray tell, must you pull Lieutenant Chae from his duties?”

Oh. Right. Kihyun swallowed again. He really was an idiot. “I’m afraid that falls under the guidelines of patient-doctor confidentiality.”

Hyungwon ran a hand over his face in exasperation. The pretty girl at the station next to him, eyed him and scooted ever so slightly away.

The Captain grinned. “Must be an emergency if it can’t wait until lunch.”

Kihyun didn’t have a response for that.

“Well, Lieutenant Chae, doctor’s orders.”

“Yes, Sir.” Hyungwon stood up and looked at Kihyun with such concern, it was insulting.

When the turbolift doors closed, Hyungwon looked at him. “What the hell, Yoo?”

“Deck Three.”

“Where are we going?”

Kihyun ignored him. “When you scanned this planet, were there any structures?”

“Oh, gee. Like mountains and forests? Nope. You’ve seen it, it’s a barren wasteland,” he replied sarcastically.

“I mean, man-made structures.”

That piqued the pilot’s curiosity. He quirked a brow. “What is this about? No. There were no ‘intelligent’ life-forms to build anything.”

They stepped off and Hyungwon followed the doctor. He had to walk exceptionally slow to not overtake the man. “You going to give me something here?”

“Did you do any scans for like...shields or um, cloaking?”

“Christ, Yoo, What’s going on? There’s no life-forms down there capable of cloaking with technology.”

“...But, there could have been. It’s not outside the realm of possibility, is it?”

Hyungwon licked his lips, annoyed with this guessing game.

Kihyun rushed to explain before Hyungwon turned tail and abandoned him. “Please, don’t think I’m crazy. I know it doesn’t make sense, but, I think I’ve been here before.”

“How? In a previous life? You spend too much time with Guru Svarti.”

“No. I mean—” Kihyun looked up at him with telling eyes, “—roughly a year ago.”

That stopped Hyungwon in his tracks.

“Will you scan the planet again?”

Understanding where they were heading now, Hyungwon took the lead. They entered the last Transport Bay and, sure enough, it was empty.

Kihyun waited by his side at the computer station. At Hyungwon’s narrowed eyes, he timidly took one step back. Hyungwon excelled in this area and within seconds, data was coming in at such speed, Kihyun had no idea what he was looking at. Hyungwon, on the other hand, did.

It took a while, but several moments later, Hyungwon took a step back and exhaled. He looked at Kihyun. “How?”

This time, Kihyun did get in Hyungwon’s space, and looked at the screen. It was a bird’s-eye view, and the pixilation was poor due to the cloaking, but the placement of the houses was unmistakable.

“I don’t know,” Kihyun said quietly.

Hyungwon hit his commbadge. “Chae to Son and Lee. You’re needed in Transport Bay Six immediately.”

Kihyun cringed. “I didn’t want to be right. He’s going to kill me for not saying anything sooner.”

Hyungwon’s mouth opened. “How long did you know?”

“I didn’t know! That’s why I got you.” Kihyun refuted. “But...yesterday, I had this feeling when I was down there, but I told myself it was impossible and I brushed it off. Then, Dr. Foret was brought to sickbay this morning, I couldn’t ignore it. It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Sherry?”

Kihyun nodded. “Same condition as Sharp.”

Hyungwon blew out a breath, looking at Kihyun in disappointment and worry. “You should have said something yesterday.”

“And be sent to Dr. Im’s office again? I don’t like the way they look at-”

Hoseok, surprisingly, made it first, though he probably beamed up two rooms over. Upon seeing Kihyun, his face shuttered to disapproving Commander mode. “You mind telling me why you feel you have the right to dictate where we scout, Dr. Yoo?”

“I’m sorry, Commander. I’ve been a little rushed. The water is unsafe and until I can conclude what body or bodies of water contains the danger, I need personnel to steer clear.”

“Perhaps next time, you could do the honors of telling your commanding officer instead of sending a nurse who can only shrug at my questions.”

“I apologize, Sir.” He really wasn’t thinking very clearly this morning. Give him a medical emergency and he was large and in charge, but this was throwing him for a loop.

Hoseok let it go with a shake of his head and Hyunwoo walked in a moment later. “I didn’t realize sickbay had moved to Transport Bay Six.” He made a show of looking around. “How quaint.”

Hyunwoo’s words may be light, but Kihyun could tell he was pissed for being lied to.

Hyunwoo looked to Hyungwon. “Why are we here, Lieutenant?”

Hyungwon took a deep breath. “I can’t explain it, Sir, but we believe the planet we are exploring as we speak is the same planet Dr. Yoo was taken to last year.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes traveled to Kihyun. He took a step up to the screen. “What am I looking at?”

Kihyun spoke up gingerly and put a finger on the largest of the structures. “That’s the house.”

Hyunwoo eyes drifted to the side screen, reading the information. “This is a reconnaissance scan.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. For the first time in a long time in the presence of Hyunwoo, Kihyun’s heart picked up in anxiety, not lust or love.

“Yes, Sir,” Hyungwon confirmed.

Hyunwoo’s eyes stopped on Kihyun. “Right. I’ll deal with you in a minute.”

“Commander, get our crew back on board. Lieutenant, send these coordinates to the bridge and fly us there.”

“Sir?” Kihyun asked, wondering what was expected of him.

“Wait here, Dr. Yoo. You’ll be coming with us when we beam down.”

“Yes, Captain.” Kihyun’s stomach twisted. He didn’t want to go down there. The whole time he spent in that house all he could think of was getting the hell out. Still, he understood the reasoning for his presence. He had knowledge of the premises, could tell if something was different or the same.

Hoseok and Hyungwon left. Hyunwoo stopped at the door, facing away from Kihyun. “Why didn’t you come to me, your Captain?”

“I wanted to be sure.”

“Captain,” Hyunwoo reminded him.

“Captain,” Kihyun added contritely.

“What you did, Dr. Yoo, was engage in subterfuge.”

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

Hyunwoo turned around smartly at that and walked forward until he was towering over him.  
It had been a minute since Kihyun had seen those unforgiving eyes.

“I told you not to apologize anymore. They’re meaningless, empty. You knew you were doing wrong.”

“I’m so-” Kihyun pressed his lips together.

“What should you have done when you stepped onto the bridge this morning?”

“I should have told you my concerns, Captain.”

“Dammit, Kihyun, this isn’t an outbreak the flu. If you had suspicions that danger was on that planet, that your crewmates could possibly be somewhere where dangerous criminals lived for god’s sake, you should have said something the moment you suspected.”

Hyunwoo leveled him with a look he’d never seen before. “You are _never_ to go behind my back. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“When did you suspect, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun looked to the ground by the transport platform.

“Look at your Captain when he’s speaking to you.”

Kihyun’s eyes whipped back up to Hyunwoo’s. “I’m sorry, Sir.” He immediately cringed at his mistake. He couldn’t do one fucking thing right.

Hyunwoo’s eyes flared at his apology. “Answer the question.”

“Captain...I did—I did feel like things felt familiar yesterday, but...the thought alone was crazy. I mean, it’s impossible. This is impossible.”

“Yesterday,” Hyunwoo stated. He crossed his arms. “I—,” he shook his head, “—I’m not often speechless, but here I am. What is a Chief Medical Officer’s number one priority?”

“The health and welfare of the crew, Sir.”

“Your were more worried about your image than the welfare of your own damn crew, your patients. If you had even an inkling of uncertainty, a fucking iota of concern, it was your responsibility to say something.”

“You’re right, Captain.”

“How are we back here again? Every damn time. Use your head. How can you be so selfish? Me getting hurt on Calypso? That was not your fault. Dr. Foret? That is on you.”

Pointless tears wet his eyes. “I know, Captain.”

“No. You don’t get to cry right now. Suck it up.”

Kihyun nodded and looked up at the ceiling, blinking them back. He couldn’t help but notice most of the tactical team going down with them, along with Dr. Im, stood at the door, witnesses to his failings. He took a deep breath in and shrugged off his lab coat, transferring his commbadge to his uniform. He placed the coat on a chair. It gave him a few precious seconds to collect himself.

Hyunwoo turned to the crew hovering at the premises. “What are you standing around for? Get on the platform.”

“Yes, Sir,” Changkyun spoke up for them, leading them to the platform.

Kihyun didn’t waste another second and joined them. Hoseok and Hyungwon returned at the same time and the three of them stepped up as well.

The platform was crowded and Kihyun felt the unmistakable squeeze of Changkyun’s hand on his shoulder, providing comfort. Kihyun wasn’t sure if it was meant for the scolding he just received or the fact he was about to walk into the house which still occasionally haunted his nightmares. He felt the comfort Changkyun was pouring into him, but, regardless, he felt approximately one inch tall.

They beamed down onto the very same dirt road Kihyun walked down with Jefferson. He saw the house in the distance. There was absolutely no denying this now. This was the place. A jumpiness ate away at his nerves as they walked down the path.

It was too familiar, and he felt a pressure that was not there on his arm and on the back of his neck. Men and women carried phasers and tricorders in hand, alert. Interestingly enough, Hyungwon was the one to stay glued by his side.

“There’s no one here. It’s empty,” Hyungwon stated.

“I know.” The scans lacked any heat signatures indicative of humans.

Hoseok ordered tactical pairs to to check the smaller buildings littered in the area until it was just them: Captain, Hoseok, Changkyun, Hyungwon and Kihyun walking up to the house. Kihyun paused at the base of the porch steps. The others already up them.

“Kihyun,” Hoseok called. “Come on.”

It was hot outside, but the sweat on his brow had more to do with what happened on this porch. Kihyun nodded and walked up. He wasn’t sure why he did it, the others were at the front door, Hoseok and Changkyun already entered, but his feet took him down the path he was dragged a year ago. He turned the corner and saw the paneling he was pushed up against, the wood he was thrown down on, but it was the dulled bloodstain, still there a year later, that captured his attention.

A hand touched his arm from behind and he flinched.

“Ki, let’s go inside,” Hyunwoo said, removing his hand.

“Yes, Captain.”

Hyungwon met his eyes and opened the back door, ushering them both inside to the kitchen. A quick look through cabinets and warm fridge proved they’d since moved on from this place, though the furniture was still there. They passed a room on the way to the stairs and Kihyun saw the afghan he was provided draped over a chair.

“That’s his office.” Kihyun pointed to the double doors by the front entrance.

Hyunwoo went inside, but Kihyun went upstairs. He’d already seen the office. He was curious about the rest of the house he was closed off from. Opening doors down the hall, he saw most rooms held one or two twin beds. Again, he found himself wondering just how many lost boys there were. Turning around at the end of the hall, he made his way to Sharp’s room at the top of the stairs. His brows widened at the cart of medical supplies at the bedside. A quick peek into the bathroom showed his jeans still in the trash.

Hyungwon met him in the middle of the room.

“They must have left right after me.”

“It would seem so,” Hyungwon agreed.

Hyungwon moved forward to the cart, examining the instruments. “You really performed surgery with this shit?”

Kihyun shrugged.

“Impressive.”

“Why are you being decent?”

Hyungwon looked back at him for a second before moving to pilfer through the drawers of the dresser. “You forget I was the first one to see you. Before sickbay patched you up, erased your bruises and blisters and scrapes. Before they reduced the swelling and wiped away the blood. You didn’t go through nothing down here or on Tangor. I know that, just like I know this isn’t easy for you. Also, Captain asked me to keep an eye on you.”

Kihyun offered him a fleeting, empty smile. “I’m gonna go wait outside. It’s stuffier in here without the AC than it is out there.”

Hyungwon nodded. “Don’t wander off.”

He never made it outside. Hyunwoo called him in the office when he saw him pass by.

“Yes, Captain?” He asked, just inside the doors.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine, Sir.”

Hyunwoo watched him for a moment. Kihyun kind of just wanted to curl up into those arms right now, but he wasn’t sure if this was his boyfriend or captain in front of him right now. Seeing as they were essentially on a mission, he presumed this was his captain, who was angry and disappointed in him. In all honesty, his boyfriend probably was too.

“How does this compare to what you remember?”

“Same. Things like clothes are gone, but very much still the same, Sir. I was telling Hyungwon, they must have left right after me.”

Kihyun scanned the room. His eyes fell on the desk Hyunwoo was sitting at. “Anything in that drawer?” He pointed to the left-hand side.

Hyunwoo’s face shuttered to blank neutrality. “Yes, actually.”

“Inventory?” Kihyun asked, now seeing a file on Hyunwoo’s lap.

“No. Not inventory.” He stood up and walked around the desk, file in hand. He put a hand at Kihyun’s shoulder-blade and walked him out the front door. “I’m sorry you had to come. Thank you.”

Kihyun’s brow wrinkled.

“Shrier!” Hyunwoo called.

The Lieutenant jogged forward up to the steps. “Yes, Sir?”

“See to it Dr. Yoo gets back to transport.”

“Oh. I can walk back-” He didn’t want to cause anymore trouble today.

“That’s an order, Dr. Yoo.”

Kihyun wilted under his stare. “Understood, Captain.”

Shrier waited for him the descend the stairs. When he did, he looked up to the porch and found it empty.

“You okay, Dr. Yoo?”

Kihyun spun back around and they headed out. “Yes, fine. Thank you.”

They made small talk on the way back to the ship, and once Kihyun beamed aboard, Shrier beamed back down.

It was a good thing Hyunwoo dismissed Kihyun from the surface because when he returned to sickbay, ten more scientists were laying on biobeds, infected by the parasites. He removed every one of them with growing guilt. Thankfully, in comparison to Sharp, they’d only need the day to recover. He retreated to the labs.

Kihyun inquired about the Captain and the others throughout the day, but the acting helm commander told him they were still in a meeting. All day. Jooheon tried to take his mind off it after hours, but Kihyun couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in that war room. Wouldn’t they have called him to ask him something if this was about his case? Confirm some finding?  
When Jooheon left, Kihyun leisurely walked down the hall in front of the war room a couple times before wondering what the hell he was doing and returning to his quarters. He went through the motions of getting ready for bed on autopilot, but he couldn’t sleep no matter how much he tried.

At 2:00 a.m., he hit the commbadge on his nightstand. “Yoo to Son.”

There wasn’t a response and Kihyun sat up in bed. Something was happening. Something bigger than his kidnapping. He put on slippers and walked down to the Captain’s cabin. Confirming he wasn’t there, he rested his back against the door and slid to the ground.

The captain likely didn’t want to see him, especially after a day spent in the war room, but the Captain wasn’t wrong in his assessment of Kihyun. He was selfish. And, curious. He wanted to be held in those arms even if they were angry at him. He wanted to know what the hell was going on for Hyunwoo to hold a meeting that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

He heard the steps too late and was slow getting to his feet.

“What are you doing here, Kihyun?” Hyunwoo opened the door and Kihyun followed him in.

“What’s going on?”

“I will tell the crew what is happening at a time I deem appropriate. You don’t get special privileges.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kihyun responded, downcast. He wanted Hyunwoo, not his captain.

“Should I go?”

Hyunwoo sighed, exhausted. “You messed up today.”

“I know...Sir.” Kihyun wasn’t sure where they stood right now.

Hyunwoo walked over to the bar and stopped, thinking better of it. Back turned to him, his head turned ever so slightly. “If those afflicted never came into sickbay, would you have said anything?”

“I don’t know, Sir. You have to believe me, I didn’t really think it could be.”

“But, you thought it might be, didn’t you?”

“No...maybe. No. It’s not possible.”

“And, yet, here we are.”

“Would you have believed me? If I walked up to you after my first trip down there a couple days ago and said, ‘Sir, I think this is the place,’ you would have sent me to Kyun, told me to take a personal day or two.”

“I guess we’ll never know, will we?” Hyunwoo laughed. It was tired and unamused. “You think I wouldn’t have looked, if for nothing else, to at least assure you that it wasn’t that place?”

“It would help if I knew who it was I was talking to right now.”

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo unclip his commbadge and set it on the bar. Taking that as an answer, Kihyun picked up a throw pillow and threw it across the room. It hit Hyunwoo’s ass and fell to the floor.

Hyunwoo turned around in disbelief, weary eyes widened in shock.

“Look at your boyfriend when he’s talking to you!” Kihyun shouted.

The tiniest ghost of a smile hovered on Hyunwoo’s face before disappearing.

Hyunwoo groaned to himself and walked to the coffee table. He sat down to take off his boots. He must be too tired and distracted for his own good if he only now realized he hadn’t take them off.

Kihyun plopped down on the floor before him and batted his hands away angrily. He untied the boots and yanked them off none too gently, throwing them by the entryway. He blew the fringe out of his eyes then violently pushed them back with a hand and looked up at Hyunwoo.

“I’m sorry,” he bit out sharply. “But, I can’t undo it. Are you going to punish me in here, too?!”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo snapped just as sharply. “Do you know what offends me just as much as you not telling me as your Captain? You not telling me as your boyfriend. You said you trusted me. In all the hours we spent together last night talking about bullshit, it never once occurred to you to tell me the misgivings you had about this place? That you felt uncomfortable on that planet yesterday?”

Kihyun’s mouth couldn’t decide between frowning, pouting or sneering. “I didn’t-”

Hyunwoo stood up abruptly and Kihyun reared back on the floor. “Oh, forget it. I don’t want to hear another lie from your mouth. You didn’t have misgivings? Hoseok made up your strange, listless behavior down there?”

Kihyun pressed his fist into the rug under the coffee table where he sat. “Let me finish, you egotistical dick. Did I think it was similar? Yes. Did I think it was the same place? No, because I believe in logic and science, and the science doesn’t add up. I didn’t tell anybody because, quite honestly, it wasn’t anyone’s business. I don’t have to share every thought that runs through my head with you. They’re mine, and I already concluded it wasn’t that place.”

Kihyun took a minute to breathe. “Did I mess up this morning? Yes. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back. I was insecure and I didn’t want to feel like the boy who called wolf again-”

Hyunwoo lifted and dropped his arms, so done with this. “What are you talk-”

Kihyun pointed a finger at him. “No. You didn’t believe me. That day we left. I know you didn’t and, honestly, I get it. None of you did. I saw Lieutenant Hilton’s report, he wrote it off about a week after we left. At the end of the day, Hyungwon was the only one who believed I saw what I saw and that’s okay, but can you blame me for wanting to be sure?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened, he couldn’t believe Kihyun just asked that. “Yes! When your reservations about coming forth stopped you from saying something, something that involves the safety of the crew, I can and I do blame you.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “Look, it’s not your fault that we’re here, I know that, but it is your responsibility to put this ship first. Maybe Hoseok would have looked at you with pity if you came running up to him that morning, but that’s what you should have done.”

Kihyun stood up. “Fine. I’m wrong and I’m selfish, an all-around shitty officer.” He walked to the door and slid a foot into his slipper.

“Where are you going?” Hyunwoo said, exasperated.

“Home,” Kihyun exclaimed, not looking at him.

“You are home.”

An angry ‘hah’ punched out of Kihyun. Home? It was laughable. “No, I’m not. I’m clearly in the presence of my commanding officer. I didn’t come here to feel worse than I already do.”

“What did you come here for?”

Kihyun stilled, unsure. Why did he come here? To be held, maybe. Ensure Hyunwoo didn’t hate him, wasn’t going to be pissed at him for the rest of his life. Maybe to ease the worry that grew as each hour passed and nobody left the war room. “I don’t know.”

“But-” He put his other slipper on. “-what I do know is that you can’t separate them. You, the Captain. You can’t not be him, even in here.”

Hyunwoo stalked forward to the living room. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I can’t. Is that a problem?”

“Right now it is, yes.”

When Kihyun turned to the door and it slid open, Hyunwoo called out. “Kihyun, stop.”

Kihyun looked back at him.

“Spend the night. I don’t care whatever that bullshit adage says about not going to bed angry. Be angry with me here.”

Without a word, Kihyun shuffled out of his slippers and went up the stairs. He didn’t bother looking at Hyunwoo as he passed, he simply went to his bedroom, pulled down the covers and got in. He curled into a ball facing outwards.

Hyunwoo came up the stairs a few moments later. Kihyun didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he listened to him jump in the shower, brush his teeth, type a few things at the computer on the corner desk. When Hyunwoo finally crawled under the covers, Kihyun surprised himself by turning into him, pulling him close. He definitely wasn’t planning to do it. His body did it for him.

Hyunwoo wrapped his arms around him in response, holding him tight. As cuddles went, it was tense, not soft like it ought to be, but overtime their limbs loosened to something resembling a bedtime snuggle. It was the first time they fell asleep inside each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though far from perfect, I've given them the honeymoon period I promised. You're probably getting the feeling things are about to unravel...
> 
> (Just out of curiosity, do you any of you pay attention to the layout of the ship? As I was editing, I noticed that I think I have Kihyun living on three separate floors since the beginning of this fic. I think sickbay may have moved once before too. I don't even know my own ship. I'd totally get lost.)


	17. Siren's Aria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Begins earlier in the day, before showki's argument in his cabin that night.

Earlier that day...

“We’re all accounted for, Captain,” Hoseok stated.

Hyunwoo looked up from the file for about the hundredth time in two hours. Flitting his eyes across the war room, he could see Unit X was all here, each chair taken. Each set of eyes furtively glancing to other uneasy eyes; they were called to the war room in the light of day. They met at night, after hours, so it raised fewer brows, so their absence from their posts wouldn’t be noticed. To his left, Hyungwon was shadowed by the storm cloud above him, still and pensive, but Hyunwoo could feel the dark energy brewing under the still calm.

“As a few of you may already know, at approximately 900 hours, a base was found on the surface of B8246, courtesy of Lieutenant Chae Hyungwon and Dr. Yoo Kihyun. While the base was deserted, we found a file belonging to the man responsible for Dr. Yoo’s kidnapping one year ago and the man we believe headed the unknown mission at the Dilithium Trade Summit last year.”

“This goes without saying, but what I am about to share stays in this room. Until we receive orders on how to proceed, this is a meeting of hypothetical responses. In this file, there are blueprint predictions of the gravitational pull radii of hundreds of stars around Star Base Kcolrehs if a black hole were to be created. This includes Star MC983.”

Hyungwon let that sink in for a moment.

“So-” Hyunwoo motioned to Changkyun, who fired up the holoscreen at the center of the table. “Let’s begin with the facts and speculate from there. What can we determine about these individuals?”

Shrier spoke up first. “The drive system technology they have goes beyond warp.”

Hoseok nodded. “Perhaps, though Flynn took Kihyun to and from this place. Flynn is not a part of that group as far as we know. So, they’ve either shared technology with Flynn or there is another alternative.”

“Which is?” Changkyun asked.

Hoseok shrugged and looked to Hyungwon. “I don’t know. I’m not the ‘space’ guy.”

The room followed Hoseok’s lead and looked at Hyungwon.

The pilot sighed. “Wormholes. Don’t me get me wrong, wormholes are far and few in between and they’re documented, charted and mapped, _but_ , there have been some wild theories thrown out over the years on being able to make one.”

Ensign Priestly huffed a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. This isn’t Warthogs.”

“I think you mean Hogwarts,” Shrier corrected.

“Whatever,” Priestly replied. 

“Nobody reads the classics anymore,” Shrier mumbled under his breath.

Hyungwon played with the tea tag dangling from his mug. Ironically, it read, ‘Blood cannot be denied.’ Waiting to see if Priestly and Shrier were done with their squabble, he continued. “The ability to take Dr. Yoo from our home galaxy to Siren and then back again in roughly 48 hours is even more ridiculous. I’m not saying ‘wormholes’ are the answer, I’m offering a possibility.”

Changkyun continued for Hyungwon. “Okay, let’s consider this. Wormholes. They make a wormhole, keep it open for Flynn, then close it when they leave. In all honesty, there’s something to it. It doesn’t require sharing technology, which doesn’t seem like something they would do. At least, it doesn’t seem like something smart mercenaries would do: share technology of that magnitude.”

“It also backs up their disappearing acts,” Hyungwon added.

“Which makes finding them nigh impossible,” Hoseok said.

Hyunwoo nodded. “Yet, one way or another, I guarantee you, finding them will become our number one priority. It’s inevitable.”

Cadet Kodak cleared his throat. “That’s going to be really hard to accomplish considering the Newton, for all intent and purpose, is supposed to be on a treasure hunt across Siren for the next two years.”

Hyunwoo looked at Kodak. “I can’t speak for our superiors, but I’ll be surprised they let us stay on a treasure hunt, as you say, when we’re onto something of this size and importance.”

“And, since we’re talking in hypotheticals today, how would we do that?” Dr. Burgess asked.

Hyunwoo shifted in his seat. “If it goes the way I think it will, we’ll break code. This will no longer be a vessel of science, discovery and diplomacy, but a ship governed by Section 31.”

A shocked stillness followed that statement. 

“The other way it could go would be Section 31 and Starfleet sharing this information with the Federation. If they go that route, this ship would be placed under something similar to martial law. The crew’s responsibilities would shift to the mission at hand. My prediction is, most Starfleet vessels would.”

“That’s...”

“Probable,” Hyunwoo finished. “I can’t say I’ll be pleased, whichever way it goes down, but the reality is, we are the ones out here and, thus, the best option to head this...-”

“Witchhunt,” Hyungwon muttered.

Hyunwoo silenced him with a look. “-operation.”

Hoseok pulled up the sketches. “They’re clearly a threat to Starfleet, have successfully landed a devastating blow. They’re terrorists.”

Hyungwon pushed the tea away from him, unable to stomach it. “Okay. I’ll say it.” He looked every single member in the eye. “How do we know they did it?”

“Hyungwon,” Hoseok chastised quietly.

“No,” Hyungwon brushed him off. “If we’re speaking hypothetically, it deserves to be said. They empty that place out of anything that could link us to them, but conveniently leave a file of their master plan? Give us the evidence needed to label them as terrorists. It’s not right. You all know it, too.”

“I’m not disregarding that possibility,” Hyunwoo said. “It is odd. From what little we have to go on with the ‘Count’, from the small details and perceptions provided by Dr. Yoo, from the swift execution and still unknown motive at the Trade Summit, he doesn’t seem like a man who would make such a grave error. So, what was their motive in leaving this file behind? A taunt? A brag? Was it sheer cockiness that it would never be found? Perhaps they were holding onto it as blackmail. The truth is, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. _They_ are the missing link and they must be found.”

Ensign Oakland shifted in his chair. “So, what’s the next step?”

“We’re making contact.” Hyunwoo turned to Changkyun. “If you will, Dr. Im.”

“Yes, Sir.” Changkyun sent the connection to Command at a 31 black site.

“This is going to be a long day,” Hyunwoo said. “Better buckle up.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presently...

Hyunwoo woke a couple hours later, Kihyun tucked warmly into his side. He stared at the ceiling, completely drained. He desperately needed to sleep, but his brain was too wired with events from the day to cooperate. This drama with Kihyun was barely a blip on the radar in comparison with what they found down there. Then, there was the resulting drama with Hyungwon because of what they discovered. On top of that, tomorrow, or, today, really, he had to explain to the ship why they were halting this discovery mission into Siren and embarking on a new one altogether. It wasn’t even the fact that they were shifting gears, it was the why that was going to hit the crew like a ton of bricks.

A part of him was relieved at finally getting some answers, some solid leads. Wasn’t that why they were here? However, a simpler, greedier part of him had settled into the normalcy of ship life, so far away from the overbearing grasp of 31. He was doing what he always wanted to do as a Captain: explore. His family was here. Kihyun was here. Not only here, but in his bed, in his kitchen, on his couch, and it was _normal_. It was great and warm and frequently hot. His life was finally falling into order, the way he always dreamed about, but never really thought would happen.

Now, he had to pull back. There were bigger things on the horizon that needed his full attention. He gently pried an arm out from under Kihyun and sat up. If he wasn’t going to sleep, he may as well do something productive. Many personnel were busy on the planet below, working through the night, cataloging evidence, scouring the planet for more findings. Even more personnel were out in smaller ships, checking other nearby planets. He should return to the bridge, check in with Hoseok, see if there was anything new.

Slipping from the bed as quietly as possible, he opened the closet and put on a fresh uniform, watching Kihyun’s curled back move in peaceful breaths under a soft white t-shirt. Even in the middle of a ‘fight,’ the man provided comfort. He carefully crept towards him and pulled the comforter over his shoulder. This could very well be the last time he saw his boyfriend for a day or two.

He regretted leaving things the way they did downstairs, but there was nothing for it. Kihyun messed up. Hyunwoo would always tell him when he did. Always. That was his job. Thankfully, he knew Kihyun to be a resilient man. He’d get over it. God willing, he wouldn’t have to wait another eight months to get laid again.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kihyun’s eyes jolted open at 7:00 a.m. to Hyunwoo’s voice. Not beside him, but over the ship-wide channel.

“Captain to Crew. Yesterday, many of you were left with questions unanswered. At this time, I will provide them. A deserted base was discovered on B8246 at approximately 9:00 yesterday morning. Inspection of the premises uncovered documents that exposed the destruction of star MC983 as an attack meant for Starbase Kcolrehs.

Kihyun sat up in bed with wide eyes.

“After thorough deliberation with Starfleet Command and the Federation, we have been tasked with exhausting this part of the galaxy for more information. As such, all exploratory ventures of Science, Medical and so forth will come to an immediate halt. I realize this comes as a shock and I understand feelings are and will be high for a time to come. There isn’t a person on this ship the tragedy at Kcolrehs hasn’t touched in some way. However, this is a United Starship and I am asking and expecting the performance you were trained to give. That is all the information I am authorized to provide at this time. Day-to-day duties will continue, business as usual. Refer to your commanding officers for any changes our new course may provide. Tactical has commenced a Code Yellow schedule. I ask all departments to accommodate them as needed. Son out.”

Kihyun swung his legs over the bed until his toes touched the cool floor. He looked over his shoulder where he was sleeping, half-expecting to see himself still asleep. He wasn’t.

That was...a lot. He raced down the stairs and slipped his feet into the slippers, exiting the Captain’s cabin. Several people noticed him leaving, but they, too, were in shock, heads close together in disbelief. The whole way back to his quarters, he saw the aftermath of Hyunwoo’s words: stricken faces, tears, hugs, fiercely whispered theories, outrage and...fear. They stumbled upon something huge. They could be targets at this very moment.

Kihyun tried to remain focused. He needed to get ready as soon as possible, get down to sickbay, and divide assignments. Assignments that would keep his department busy and offer a purpose. He rushed through his routine at the same speed thoughts rushed through his head.

The number one thought? Count and company didn’t seem like terrorists. Criminals? Absolutely. But, what kind of vendetta would they have to prompt them to take out an entire starbase? That was mass murder. It didn’t feel right to Kihyun, but...they found what they found. That house belonged to Sharp, the Count. _Oh my god_ , Hyungwon’s father.

Then, there was just the sheer awfulness of the whole thing. All of his shipmates had passed their mourning period years ago and now they were going to be forced to endure it all again. He couldn’t imagine.

Hyunwoo’s mother. He walked into Hyunwoo’s cabin last night all up in arms and wanting to be comforted. He was the assiest of assholes.

He made it to sickbay just before shift change and asked them to stay until he could address both shifts.

His crew crowded into sickbay. He sort of wished he had a soapbox to stand up on. It didn’t matter. Oh well, he could be plenty loud when needed.

“In light of this morning’s announcement, I understand today and the coming days will be difficult. However, I ask you to continue giving your best. As we no longer have access to new samples or data, it is time to form new research groups for the samples we _have_ collected. In one hour, please check the postings to see which group you have been assigned. By Friday, I expect proposals and experiment designs for my review. For my sickbay crew, I am implementing a special group for stress intake. We can and should expect an increase of patients with concerns such as insomnia, headaches, irregular heart-rate, problems focusing, low energy, agitation, moodiness, chest tightness, stomach issues, among others. Now, some of these may sound like Dr. Im’s problem, but sickbay is here to supplement him where possible. With the exception of my 13:00 quadruple lung transplant, which cannot be postponed, please check with today’s operative patients and see if they are still onboard with having their procedures today. If they would like to reschedule, work with them to the best of your ability, be understanding. That is all for now. Thank you. Second shift, please, get a good rest.”

It was not an easy day. Kihyun would say that much. It felt like three shifts combined. For the most part, his department moved forward well. However, more than a handful came into his office crying at some point in the day between procedures. He didn’t do well when employees cried. In the past, he was often cold to the ones who came in crying. Granted, it was usually over a breakup and they just ‘couldn’t work’ because they were so ‘heartbroken.’ Did he seem like the person you should go crying to? He worked hard not to seem like that person. Other times, he was the cause of the crying.

Today, however, how could he not bleed for them? It was their mom or their dad, brother or best friend on that base. He sent them home, suggested talking to a friend or making an appointment with Dr. Im or going to one of Im’s upcoming grief or anger workshops this week.

Everybody had their own way of dealing with stress. Just because Kihyun liked to throw himself into work when he was overwhelmed, didn’t mean it worked for everyone else. He eyed a few repeat troublemakers on their way out at the end of day. If anyone was stupid enough to show up tomorrow hungover, there’d be hell to pay. He was purposefully staying late just to assess the incoming shift. Did they sleep? Did they eat? Did they understand their assignments? Did they have any questions?

There was a jaunty knock at the door as it slid open for Minhyuk. Blessed Minhyuk. What a sight for sore eyes.

“Hey, Babe.”

“Min,” Kihyun sighed his name like cool water on a sweltering day.

Minhyuk’s eyes flitted over his face. “Wow. Those circles really bring out the chic wan pallor you’re sporting.”

Kihyun rose a brow. “I see you’ve somehow managed to wrinkle a wrinkle-free uniform.”

Minhyuk smiled. “That’s the spirit.” He came around the desk, pulled Kihyun to his feet and slumped an arm over his shoulder, walking him out to sickbay. “You see, this is why we’re the bosses. We’re large and in charge no matter what comes our way.”

Kihyun wanted to hug his friend and say sorry about his favorite aunt, but he knew it wouldn’t be what Min wanted. They were similar in that way. “I think today qualifies as a cheat day, don’t you?”

Minhyuk narrowed his eyes, considering. “I concur. What would you prescribe?”

“Chili-cheese fries, followed by one pint of ice cream before bed, and copious amounts of sleep.”

“Noice.”

Kihyun cringed at the word and ducked out from under Minhyuk. “But, will you give me twenty? I need to make sure everything is set here, then check on something real quick.”

“Fine, I’ll get them to go. See you at yours?”

“Thanks. Don’t skimp on the cheese.”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Ensuring the incoming crew knew what they were doing, Kihyun hung his lab coat up and left for the arboretum. The walkways were quieter than usual and the arboretum was virtually empty. His gut told him he’d be there.

Hyungwon watched him approach. Nothing on his face gave Kihyun any clue as to how he was feeling.

“Yoo,” Hyungwon said as way of greeting.

Kihyun plopped down about four feet in front of him on the grass. “Hi.”

Hyungwon chuckled without spirit. “Yoo Kihyun, at a loss for words, never thought I’d see the day.”

Kihyun bit his lip. “What is it you found down there?”

“An utter disregard for life.”

“And it’s...legit?”

“Hardly think the head of Starfleet Command would be personally ordering us about and preparing press releases if it wasn’t.” Hyungwon looked at him closely, waiting to see if he’d press any further. Seeing Kihyun’s shifting eyes, he was the one who pressed. “What are you thinking, Yoo?”

“It...just...doesn’t seem like something they’d do.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “You spent less than twenty-four hours with them, most of which was spent with an unconscious man. What would you know?”

“Nothing. You’re right. It’s naive.”

“It’s stupid,” Hyungwon corrected. “Besides, I already played devil’s advocate with that hand last night.” He sighed, remembering. “It did not go down well.”

“I’m sorry,” Kihyun said, thinking this would be what Hyungwon thought of whenever he thought about his dad. If it was his dad.

Hyungwon dismissed him with a shrug of his shoulder.

“You want to come eat with Min and me?”

Hyungwon looked at him, bored. “No. I don’t.”

Kihyun nodded and stood up, dusting a hand over his ass to remove any dirt or grass. Hyungwon found peace in solace. Kihyun could respect that. He turned to leave and made it a few steps before turning back to him.

“It’s just...clothes were gone, food was gone, why would they leave a blueprint of their activities behind?”

“Yoo, stay out of it. You don’t think we’ve already gone over it a hundred times by now? They’re our prime suspects and Starfleet’s number one priority. That’s where we are.”

Kihyun’s lips thinned, but he nodded. It wasn’t the first time the War Room gang shooed him away. It likely wouldn’t be the last.

His mouth opened on a thought, then closed again.

“What?” Hyungwon sighed.

“You said press releases. Is that...really the best course? I mean, won’t it put whoever did this in a position to take action or cover their tracks or prompt them to do something awful before they’re caught?”

Kihyun worried his lip. “And then, won’t a press release put a target on our back?”

Hyungwon took in the tension of Kihyun’s frame. “We don’t have any control over what the higher-ups do and don’t do. We made our case. What do you think we were doing in there all day yesterday? In the end, they run the show and do what they feel is best.” 

Hyungwon licked his lips. “Ship-life is about to take a drastic turn. You should prepare yourself.”

With those heavy words bearing down on Kihyun’s heart, he offered a tiny nod and left.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kihyun didn’t see Hyunwoo that day or the next. He didn’t see Hoseok either, though he saw the red of tactical literally everywhere. The Captain and Commander were clearly busy, and he didn’t want to pry or interrupt. However, he couldn’t help but feel he owed Hyunwoo a hug, a simple ‘I’m sorry’ about his mother. It’s not like the truth changed anything, none of the dead could come back, but knowing their deaths were premeditated, not the result of some horrific accident, would be a hard pill for anyone to swallow. The reality was, Hyunwoo had to swallow that pill while looking in control and unaffected. He hoped behind closed doors, he was able to feel whatever he needed to feel.

His mounting concern for Hyunwoo, led him to his cabin early on the third day of the Newton’s new mission. Hyunwoo answered, dressed and ready for the day.

“Hi,” Hyunwoo said. His eyes bounced up and down Kihyun.

“Hi.”

Hyunwoo stepped aside, letting Kihyun pass. “I’m glad you came by. Do you want some coffee?”

He didn’t. “Sure.” He followed Hyunwoo into the kitchen.

Kihyun watched Hyunwoo pull a mug from the cabinet and make his coffee exactly as he liked it. Kihyun took it with a grateful smile and took a small sip. He set it on the counter.

Kihyun licked the corner of his mouth. This was awkward. He hated it. “I’m sorry. I...how are you?”

Hyunwoo leaned against the counter with his own mug clasped between his fingers. “Fine. How are you?”

‘Okay. So much for opening up,’ Kihyun thought. He moved forward and pressed into Hyunwoo’s front, wrapping his arms around him.

Hyunwoo set down his cup and ran hands up and down his back.

“I was worried about you,” Kihyun said into his shirt.

“I’m fine,” Hyunwoo assured.

Kihyun pressed his cheek into him. “You don’t have to be, you know. It’s a lot and now there’s all this extra stress and-”

Hyunwoo sighed. He felt dirty in Kihyun’s arms. Unworthy. “Ki, I knew. I have known.”

His nose crinkled, and he pulled back. “How could you have known?”

“Not the who, but I’ve known it wasn’t an accident for a long time now.”

Kihyun’s arms loosened. “Then, why didn’t everyone else? How could you keep something like this to yourself? Don’t you think everybody that lost someone has a right to know?”

“It was hardly myself.” Hyunwoo smoothed hands down his arms. “Ki…”

“More secrets. Just what is it you’re into, Hyunwoo?”

“You know I can’t say. Please don’t ask. I don’t like disappointing you.”

‘Then don’t!’ was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down. Kihyun frowned at the spoon in the sink. He didn’t want to be disappointed or angry at the moment. At least, not anymore than he already was. Hyunwoo was his own man, but it was at times like these Kihyun wondered what exactly he attached himself to.

“Hey,” Hyunwoo called softly, cradling his face and angling it up to him. “Things are going to be okay.”

“I know,” Kihyun stated quietly. His eyes traveled from his chin to his eyes and he forced a smile, lifting up just a little to kiss him softly. “I know,” he whispered again onto his lips, trailing his hands from his back up to the sides of his neck, fingers lightly touching the warm skin there. He brushed his lips softly on Hyunwoo’s in gentle busses, trying to unleash the rigidity in Hyunwoo’s frame.

Unlike Hyunwoo, Kihyun didn’t seem to have any issues providing comfort while angry. It made Hyunwoo feel like an ass. He was more like his father than he would care to admit. Even now, he didn’t know how to respond to these sweet kisses and light touches.

Hyunwoo wished there was time to do what he really wanted. There was still this tension between them from a few nights ago. They were still upset with eachother. It was confusing his body, that lingering anger being tickled by Kihyun’s soft kisses, always so affectionate. He didn’t want to receive his affection, he wanted to take Kihyun right here, right now, work out all the stress of literally everything that had been compounding the last several days. There was a perfectly good table to push Kihyun down on right there, a perfectly positioned counter to throw him up on and-

But, there wasn’t time. He was due in the war room and Kihyun would be late to sickbay. A few more minutes of Kihyun’s tender kisses wouldn’t hurt though, even if they left him feeling agitated and undeserving. Kihyun smelled like chai today, cinnamon and clove warming him further. For the first time in three days, he slowly let his brain turn off, be willfully overtaken by the softness of the man before him. Overtime, he felt that familiar pulling sensation, but, seeing how they weren’t going to be progressing to anything further, he didn’t take control and let whatever was happening, happen.

Except, it didn’t. Kihyun’s hands slid limply from his neck to his chest, trapped between their bodies. His lips stopped moving against him.

Pulling back infinitesimally, he instinctively knew it happened again. Strengthening an arm at his back, he lifted an eyelid up with the pad of his thumb to confirm his conclusion and cursed. Kihyun’s eyes were vacant and ice blue. “Christ, Yoo. I know you don’t have any control over this, but what the hell?”

He didn’t have time to sit around and babysit him. He hated how callous that sounded, but it was the truth. There was a hologram conference in fifteen minutes with officials of the Federation.

He pressed his lips against Kihyun’s temple in an aggravated, but loving smooch then picked him up. “I’m taking you to work. If you don’t want to be a patient in your own sickbay, I suggest you find a way to pull it together in the next five minutes. For the love of god, Ki, a few kisses?”

To say they received some stares as Hyunwoo walked down the hall with an ‘unconscious’ Dr. Yoo would be an understatement. The turbolift, especially, was about as awkward as it could be. Crowded at all sides with crew from different departments, from the bridge. So much for low key.

Dr. Miyeon caught his eye when he entered and motioned him over to the last exam room. “Set him in here. No one will be using this room for a while. How long?”

“A few minutes.”

She pulled out a blanket from a drawer and draped it over him. “He’ll be fine. I’ll check in on him.”

Hyunwoo extended his thanks. He brushed a thumb across Kihyun’s cheek in goodbye and left.

He’d love nothing more than to call in sick with Kihyun, snuggle under some blankets and watch some movies, forget everything that was happening around them, then fuck any of the lingering tension away. But, this wasn’t Earth, it was a United Starship. One doesn’t exactly call in sick. Ever.

It felt a little heartless to abandon him. For the life of him, he couldn’t imagine what about that little encounter was ‘too much’ for Kihyun. If a few chaste kisses was all it took to send Kihyun to ‘feeling too much-must shut down’ mode, Hyunwoo was seriously slacking.

“Cutting it a little close, Captain,” Hoseok said when Hyunwoo walked into the war room. It was crowded. This mission belonged to the Newton now, not Unit X.

“It’s that kind of morning,” he replied, heading straight for the carafe.

“That kind of week,” Hoseok added, following him. “If I may make a suggestion, Sir.”

“Always,” Hyunwoo answered, filling a mug with coffee and adding a sugar.

Hoseok handed him a napkin from the table. “Not that it doesn’t look great on you, but that ballet slipper pink doesn’t exactly scream authoritative, ready-to-kill Captain.”

Hyunwoo stilled, cup half-way to his lips. “Perfect,” he sighed, taking the napkin and wiping his mouth. “Better?” he checked.

“Yes.” Hoseok smiled. “Though, I think we’d all be doing a little better if we knew what the hell to expect from this meeting.”

“It’s a debriefing, we report what new findings we have, which, as you know, is zilch. I’m not sure what they have in mind beyond that, but I know what I have in mind.”

“Our course?” Hoseok guessed.

“Our course,” Hyunwoo confirmed. “The leads are out there, not here. We may have found the file here, but we need to be out in civilization, in the underbelly of the black market, in criminal hot spots. Kihyun said he was a matchmaker. There’s nobody out here to match-make. I honestly don’t know what their reasoning is. This is as much a battleship as it is a ship of science. They’re ordering us to scour empty planets? What for? Our task should be doing what we can to understand them, find out more about them, not panning for evidence in an endless sandbox, on uninhabitable planets at that.”

“Why didn’t Jisub back you up?”

“Captain So,” Hyunwoo reminded him. Captain So Jisub was privy to that endless meeting three days ago and uncharacteristically silent for a man with strong opinions, especially when it came to the death of Starfleet personnel.

Hyunwoo took a sip of coffee then grimaced, pushing it into Hoseok’s hands. He’d been drinking way too much coffee as of late. His blood felt like acid. “Any number of reasons. Maybe, selfishly, he wants to take head on this. He’s been doing diplomatic work for the past four years, probably misses the more exciting prospects of a hunt. Justice. It’s what he used to do, what he built his name on.”

Hyunwoo rolled his neck. This week was catching up with him. “Still, I do find it a little strange. He always championed the Newton, from the very beginning, nominated us for all the things that got us recognized. Maybe he’s unwilling to get on board with us joining the fray due to personal reasons. Survivor’s guilt.”

“Survivor’s guilt?” Hoseok looked up at him questioningly. He added two more sugars and cream.

“Could be.” Hyunwoo looked around, scanning for attentive ears. “Not many people know this, but the U.S.S. Starglider was the ship meant to be at St. Jobs IV eight years ago, when first contact with the Corbenians went down. But, in a series of twists, his wife’s ship, the U.S.S. Alderon took their place.”

Understanding dawned. “And, they all perished,” Hoseok said, dropping a stirrer into the trash and taking a drink.

“He was never the same after that. He’s still the golden Captain everyone loves and adores. I couldn’t ask for a better mentor, a more reliable hyung, but he has an uncontrollable need to be in charge, to be at the forefront. His hands are literally everywhere. It’s...the only way he feels he can protect, I guess.”

Hoseok shook his head. “Such a pointless tragedy, too.”

Hyunwoo glanced up at the clock. It was almost time. “He advocates for the annulment of the Directive 010 every year.”

Hoseok’s eyes bugged, and he pulled the mug away from him so he wouldn’t choke. Directive o1o: Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made. “That will never happen. He has to know that. It’s what Starfleet is grounded on.”

“Well, like you said, it was a pointless tragedy. Starfleet ordered her to ignore her instincts, and, as a consequence, they were slaughtered. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in Directive 010 more than anyone, but there is something to be said for experience, for a Captain’s instinct.”

“So, you think Captain So wants us out of the crossfire?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head, considering, then shook his head. “I think I need to talk to him personally, see where he’s coming from. He has the ear of the high council. If anyone can get us out of digging for nothing, it’s him.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The meeting went as Hyunwoo predicted. They shared their activities since they last spoke and what they found over the last few days, which was nothing. He advocated for returning to home territory intending to continue the search for information through zones of high crime. Predictably, it was shot down and they were ordered to continue out here. ‘There might be something out there’ and ‘It will take too long for another ship to replace you in Siren.’ All in all, it was the shortest meeting they had all week.

It did, however, give him time to send word to Jisub and they would ‘catch up’ later in the day.

Hyunwoo took the call in his ready room late that night. Jisub may be a friend and confidant, but he was still a highly respected Captain who deserved the upmost respect. He was a forty-one-year-old icon in Starfleet, who approached every dilemma with dignity and calm. He’d been through more hardships than most Captain’s experience in a lifetime. Behind the scenes, he maintained a casual and humorous wisdom that Hyunwoo admired.

“Captain So,” Hyunwoo greeted as the man appeared on the holoscreen.

“Captain Son,” Jisub returned with a smile. 

Hyunwoo belatedly noticed Commander Park Hyungsik at Jisub’s side and inclined his head. “Commander Park.”

“Captain Son,” Hyungsik said with a sharp smile.

“Boys,” Jisub warned with an amused smile. “We’re beyond schoolyard politics at this point, are we not?”

“Of course,” Hyunwoo replied.

“Absolutely,” Hyungsik agreed.

Captain So leaned back in his chair, set his elbows on the armrests and steepled his fingers across his stomach. “How may I be of service? I am, as always, happy to hear from you, but I have a hunch this is more than a quick ‘How you do?’”

Hyunwoo nodded, appreciating Jisub cutting to the chase. “Captain, you know as much as I do we’re wasting energy out here.”

Captain So shook his head. “No. I do not know that.”

“There is nothing more to reap in Siren, at least on this matter. They were already living on the most habitable planet, why set up camp on one these endless Class D’s or J’s?”

“Keyword: Endless. Look me in the eyes and tell me there’s not a possibility of something else being found in Siren. It’s massive.”

Hyunwoo licked his lips. It was hard to argue that, but his gut and experience with Unit X was telling him to go back. It was a foreboding feeling that left him anxious, like when you knock a spider off your arm, but continue to feel it crawling on you throughout the day.

He tried again. “The data we have on these individuals suggest they make contact with a multitude of people in our own galaxy. If we’re going to learn more about them, we need to be there.”

“-And-, we have that covered,” Hyungsik said with usual glib. 

“Captain So, I am imploring you, don’t let them maroon us out here. It’s a wild goose chase. If we’re going to spend the next two years here scanning planets, we may as well return to our previous mission.”

“You would return to collecting samples and mapping after this?” Captain So asked.

“It has more purpose than what we are doing now.”

“There’s no way Starfleet would back that and you know it. However, I could make a recommendation for your return, stipulating that you leave personnel behind to continue the search.”

“You’re suggesting a starship separation,” Hyunwoo said incredulously.

Captain So shrugged. “See? I knew you wouldn’t like it. How can you be a Captain when half your ship is in Siren and the other half back home?”

“That kind of maneuver is meant for short-term emergencies. Under these circumstances, we’d be separated for months. Our defenses would be halved.”

“Captain,” Jisub said sincerely. “I’m trying to get you to understand the flaws in your reasoning. You want to see this through. I understand that. More than you know, I understand that, but there is the _possibility_ there is something to learn in Siren still. That alone is reason enough to stay.”

Hyunwoo sat, pensive. He knew he could use Hyungwon as a reason to return. That connection would be enough, but it wasn’t right. He’d protect Hyungwon until his last breath. Hyungwon was perfectly innocent, however, he knew what Starfleet would do with that information. Logically, strategically, he knew Hyungwon would be the perfect lure, the perfect bait, but it was unthinkable.

Jisub rested his arms on the desk and leaned forward. “I acknowledge it’s hard, but Commander Park is right, we have this handled. Other ships, too. You may feel it’s pointless, that you’re not helping, but I assure you, none of us on the other side feel that way. If you feel you are doing nothing, then it is time for you to take a step back and reassess. You will find the right path.”

Hyunwoo was disappointed. He was hoping for more support. Couldn’t they see there was nothing else out here? They found the odd, damning destruction in the asteroid fields. They found the plans. That’s what they used Siren for. To test the plans without any witnesses.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear.”

If there was one thing he learned since becoming a Captain, it was disappointment was part of the gig. “It’s fine. I’ve stated my concerns to the Federation, Starfleet and now you. I’ve done my due diligence to proceed with what I believe is the best course of action. In the end, it’s not my decision. I will continue as commanded.”

Jisub smiled, nodding. “There was never any doubt.” He looked to Hyungsik at his side. “Commander, you’re dismissed. I’m going to catch up with my favorite captain.”

Hyungsik sized Hyunwoo up on the other side of the screen. “Captain,” he said to Hyunwoo, then turned to Jisub, “Captain.”

Hyunwoo watched Hyungsik leave the office, the door sliding shut behind him. “I still can’t believe you hired him.”

“Now, now, he’s more than qualified and he’s been a superb Number 1.” Jisub loosened up and relaxed further into his chair. “If you remember, I asked you to be my Number 1, and you turned it down.”

Hyunwoo smiled, relaxing into his chair, too. This was a recurring conversation. “What can I say? I had a shot at Captain.”

Jisub nodded. “I was disappointed, but I can see it turned out well for you. You made the right decision.”

“I learned from the best,” Hyunwoo stated.

Jisub rolled his eyes. “You can turn off the charm. It’s only us. That’s quite a discovery you made out there. You should feel proud. And, to think, your Chief Medical Officer upturned the greatest attack in recent history.”

“It’s hard to feel proud when you don’t feel you can do anything about it.”

“If it weren’t for the Newton, the world would be none the wiser. However, speaking of your Chief Medical Officer, how’s he doing? It must be a shock to realize the people who took him were capable of something like this.”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes, tired. He squeezed them tight and sighed. “He’s...I don’t know truthfully.” He opened his eyes and looked past the screen to the door. “I’ve been kind of...in my own head as of late. I might have-” Hyunwoo shook his head, “-I don’t know.”

Jisub quirked a brow. “My, my. Have I upturned something myself? A simple question about your Chief Medical Officer shouldn’t trigger so much uncertainty.” He shook his head, a self-satisfied smile stretching his lips. “Son Hyunwoo, are you dipping your pen in the company ink?”

“It’s not like that.”

“No judgement here. Alone in barren galaxy, new discoveries on wondrous planets all around you, perhaps even discovering the charms of those who’ve been at your side this whole time. It’s not surprising. I’ve met the alluring Dr. Yoo Kihyun, yet another Newton native that turned down on a position on my ship, even I can see the appeal and I’m straight.”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Watch yourself, hyung. It’s more than a colleagues with benefits scenario. I like him. A lot. I’m just not sure I’m capable of it.”

“It? A relationship? What’s there to be capable of? If you care for him, then you care for him. It’s as easy as that.”

“How did you do it? Before Captain Hannah became a captain and was stationed on the Starglider under you, how did you be what she needed and still be the Captain? How did you do both?”

Jisub hummed a little gleefully. “I see. Dr. Yoo is a bit of an instigator, isn’t he?”

Hyunwoo huffed, not in the mood to be teased. “Nevermind.”

“No. I’m here for you. What kind of mentor would I be if I didn’t offer guidance and counsel? Hannah wasn’t immune to the occasional reprimands herself. Very spirited woman, Hannah.”

“That’s why I asked.”

“The answer is simple. Use both hands. If one hand is chastising him, the other needs to sooth him. It’s hard being in their position. He has two separate people to please: Captain Son and Hyunwoo. So, if Dr. Yoo is expending all this energy to please both of you, it is your obligation to make both available to him. If all you’re giving him is the Captain, and, believe me, in your present situation, I know it’s hard to let go of that uniform, but, if that’s all you’re giving him, it’s not fair. He’s giving all of himself, but you’re only returning half. And, it’s likely the half he doesn’t need right now.”

“So, what? I discipline him then kiss it all better. Doesn’t one negate the other? I need him to know when he’s done wrong.”

Jisub lifted a brow in incredulity. “Did you hire a complete dunce? One doesn’t get to be an esteemed doctor without a couple brain cells to rub together. He’s smart enough to know when he’s in the wrong. Trust me, if he likes you as you like him, disappointing you is not something that gets cancelled, no matter how much you kiss it all better. It weighs on him. It’s always going to weigh on him.”

Hyunwoo scratched at a nonexistent smudge on the desk. He was making life difficult for Kihyun, dragging him down with him. It wasn’t fair. Why did he think this was doable? “Then, maybe I should end this whole thing before it gets any worse. I can’t give him enough time, I can’t-”

“You off duty?” Jisub interrupted and pulled out a bottle of vodka and a shot glass from a drawer and filled it. “I can see from your face you don’t mean that one bit.”

Hyunwoo sighed and pulled the bottle of whiskey from his own drawer, pouring a shot. 

Jisub nodded. “I’ve taught you well. Go on. We don’t stand on principle here.”

They shot them back and filled them again.

“Here’s what you need to do. Everyday. Always. Put yourself in his shoes. If you’re always Captain, who does he go to with his stress, with his insecurities, when he has a bad day? Certainly not a Captain. If one of my own walked in here telling me about their shit day, I’d tell them to pull themselves together and get a move on, to go through the proper channels. But, you see, you _are_ the proper channel for him. You can’t cut him off from that. On top of that, if you only give yourself to him some of the time or only when things are easy and calm, imagine how confusing that is to him.”

The rim of the glass indented the pads of Hyunwoo’s thumbs as he pressed down on it. “I always feel stupid after talking to you.”

Jisub grinned. “That’s good. That means you’re learning.”

Hyunwoo didn’t shoot the next shot back, but sipped it, deep in thought.

“Hyunwoo, I get it. It’s hard. Why do you think so many captains remain unmarried? But, if anyone can manage it, you can. You’re young, not only as a man, but as a captain, too. You’re still a baby in captain years.”

“Really?” Hyunwoo groaned.

“Still getting your space legs, still on the precipice of hitting your stride-”

“I’m hanging up,” Hyunwoo warned.

Jisub chuckled. “What I’m saying is, it will get easier with time. You and the role of Captain will become more cohesive, and you’ll become a better Captain for it, be able to temper that part of you at will and allow that softer part of you to rise to the surface for the people in your life. You don’t have to compartmentalize each aspect of your life. It’s okay to let them merge. The sky isn’t going to fall, hell isn’t going to break through the crust.”

Jisub opened a drawer and withdrew a bag of twizzlers. He bit into one. “Look. I’m about to contradict my earlier words and if you ever repeat it, I will deny it and kick your ass. Starfleet urges its fledgling Captains to separate their identities.”

Jisub shook his head. “It’s complete and utter bullshit. You know who’s giving that advice? People who have never been Captains. You think it was your outstanding marks that landed you in the program? No, it was _you_. Skills can be learned, character can’t. They tell you to separate them because they want you to do things by the book, and at the beginning, that’s fine, you’re still getting the hang of it, but you’re long past that point now. Don’t be the Captain they want, be the Captain you are. Everything else will fall into place.”

Hyunwoo chewed on his lip. “I can’t help but feel like I’m letting my ship down when I’m with him. Then, when I’m not able to give him time, I can’t help but feel like I’m letting him down.”

“It’s a balancing act, a delicate one at that. That guilt you’re feeling is proof you’re doing something right. I’m sorry to say that doesn’t go away, it’s always going to be nipping at your heels. The trick is to trust those around you. You have a capable helm, a talented crew. Commander Lee, Dr. Im and Lieutenant Chae can stand in your place at the drop of a hat. Use them. That’s what a council is for. It’s the best advice I can offer. If you continue to shoulder all the responsibility by yourself, you’ll be gray by the time your thirty. Or bald.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. This time he shot whiskey back.

“Don’t be so hard yourself and don’t be hard on that tight MD either. The both of you are in uncharted territory. It will take you guys a while to get the lay of the land. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, I know you fought and continue to fight that perception that you’re not a ship of kids. However, you are an unbelievably young Captain with an unbelievably young crew, all of whom were asked to grow up too quickly. Errors will be made, especially in your personal lives. All of you were too focused on reaching the finish line, the whips of Starfleet at your backs and as a result all of you missed out on a lot of life lessons. Now, it’s time to start learning them.”

Jisub propped his feet on the desk having finished his lecture. “Now, enough of that. What’s this I hear about lactating nipples?”

Hyunwoo snorted, settling in for an exchange of adventures and stories. An hour later, he didn’t go to Kihyun, but returned to his cabin. One, he told Jooheon he needed to talk. Two, he wanted to ruminate on his conversation with Jisub before approaching Kihyun. And three, he was dead tired. For the first time in days, he thought he’d be able to manage some decent sleep, which didn’t involve waking up every twenty minutes.

He tapped his commbadge as he left the ready room, nodding good night to the current shift as he boarded the turbolift. “Son to Jooheon. Ready?”

“Captain. I thought you might have forgotten about me. I’ll head down.”

“I’ll be there.”

Hyunwoo had enough time to return to his cabin and bring out two glasses of bourbon. He honestly could do without it, but it felt like an occasion that warranted liquor. It’s how he was brought in.

Hyunwoo acknowledged the chime a few minutes later and Jooheon joined him at the kitchen table. He didn’t want to taint the couch, where Jooheon watched all his soccer matches, with what was about to happen.

“Working late?” Hyunwoo asked, taking in Jooheon’s uniform.

Jooheon nodded. “Got wrapped up in testing something.” He tipped his chin to the bottle. “Are we celebrating? I gotta say, I haven’t felt much like celebrating this week.”

Jooheon, like the majority of the ship, was in poor spirits. “How is your family?” Jooheon lost four cousins, children, in addition to his maternal aunt and her husband.

“Mom’s pretty shaken. The siblings were too young when it happened, so they don’t really experience it the same way, not like we do.”

Hyunwoo nodded his head, understanding. “Assure her we’re doing everything we can out here.”

“I did. I think she’s more concerned about _us_ , alone in Siren. If we needed to get out of here, it’d be three months before we reached civilization of any kind, longer still till we reached any bases. She thinks someone is going to come by looking for retribution for outing them.”

“You didn’t tell her it was the same place Dr. Yoo’s captors were stationed, did you? That hasn’t been released.” If the officials back home had any sense, it never would be.

“No. I haven’t said anything, you told the crew to keep it internal.”

“Good.” Jooheon was good at following orders. 

“So, what did you want to talk about? This? I’m okay. Shocked, but okay.”

Hyunwoo licked his lips. “No, it was about work. However, you could say it is somewhat related to recent findings.”

Jooheon eyes widened in wait. He took a drink. 

“Jooheon, what is it you like about your job?” Hyunwoo asked, feeling him out.

“Engineering? What’s not to like? It makes the world go round. It makes us move at 9.8 warp. It’s difficult and complex and beautiful like art, but you know this already. You majored in Engineering.” Jooheon chuckled. “Thinking of a career change, Cap?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “No. Not yet, anyway.” 

Hyunwoo sighed. This was harder than he thought. “If you could go back to the Academy and you weren’t rushed the way you were, would you change anything?”

“I could think of a few girls I would ask out,” Jooheon joked, then looked at Hyunwoo in question. “I feel like you’re fishing for something, hyung. It’s not like you to beat around the bush.”

Hyunwoo’s lips twisted. Jooheon was perceptive. “I know. I suppose I’m feeling a little nostalgic this week.”

Jooheon nodded in understanding, taking another drink.

“Engineering, I understand, but why Starfleet? You could have made a fortune by now in the corporate world, you’d be close to your family, your labs and tests sites would be massive. Your funding would be limitless.”

Jooheon smiled down at his glass fondly and shrugged. “What attracts anyone to Starfleet? At first, it’s space, it’s the exploration of the unknown. Then, the longer you spend at the Academy, the more you identify as Starfleet. It’s an honor and a service. We are pioneers for our home, for the Federation. Imagine if we didn’t exist. We’d have been wiped out by some enemy race by now. Instead, we’re here, and we’re securing our future, developing our home, protecting our home. This week proves it. If we weren’t here, we’d have never known.”

This was it. This was where he posed to question, ‘What if you could do more?’ It wasn’t budging. The question sat in his lungs, ready to be expelled, but he couldn’t do it. It was a sentence, a simple question. It was also a life sentence to the same nightmares that haunted them all, the same images that would never vanish.

At this very moment, he was failing to do his job as head of Unit X. He was turning his back on protocol, on logic. Jooheon would be an asset.

“Hyung?” Jooheon asked, concerned.

He couldn’t follow through. No, not couldn’t, _wouldn’t_. He wasn’t going to condemn Jooheon to live with them under that same shadow, the overwhelming weight of this, the shame of the things he’d be tasked to do. He’d tell the others it was a judgement call, that Jooheon was too green for this.

Hyunwoo lifted his glass. “Congratulations.”

“For?” Jooheon questioned, eyes squinted in confusion in the face of Hyunwoo’s odd behavior.

“Your design for a rotating transglomater was accepted. They’re set to build it next quarter.”

Jooheon’s eyes bugged. “Really?! Oh my god. For real?” He laughed.

Hyunwoo nodded, glass still waiting in the air for a clink from the flabbergasted engineer.

Jooheon shouted, clinking his glass against Hyunwoo’s none too gently in his eagerness. 

“Bottoms up,” Hyunwoo encouraged. 

When they set the glasses down, Hyunwoo stared at the engineer. He envied Jooheon, but he was also at peace with himself, which didn’t happen often.

Jooheon’s smile alone could get a rotating transglomater up and running for the next decade.

Jooheon ran his hands through his hair in awe. “I can’t wait to tell my team. They’re gonna flip.” He shook his head, backtracking. He narrowed an eye at Hyunwoo. “Wait. Why are you telling me this here? You usually wait for weekly Chief debriefings.”

Hyunwoo shrugged. “I thought we all could use some good news, didn’t want to wait around. Also, I wanted to congratulate you personally. Can’t let the others know I play favorites, okay?”

Jooheon rolled his eyes. “Whatever. We all know Ki-hyung’s your favorite now.”

Hyunwoo couldn’t argue that, but he highly doubted he was _Kihyun’s_ favorite at the moment.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Dressed in his robe, Kihyun brushed his teeth morosely, lost in thought. The fogged mirrored in front of him reflected precisely how unsure he was with everything in his life. At what point did this uncertainty begin? The fight? The lack of time? The news of Klolrehs?

Gnawing on the bristles, he drew three ellipses onto the mirror then jumped at the door chime. He padded out to the door to see who was bothering him this early. Hyunwoo appeared on screen. 

Yesterday, after he ‘came to,’ Hyunwoo popped by sickbay to check in on him, but it was brief. He was expecting questions about yesterday morning’s encounter, but once Hyunwoo ascertained that he was living and moving, he left. A quick kiss on his head and ‘Glad you’re better.’ Kihyun didn’t want to be greedy, but he was very much dissatisfied lately. He felt small. That quick check in made him feel like an afterthought. Though, considering the big changes on the ship, it made a certain amount of sense. He ought to lower his expectations in the coming days.

Was he a high-maintenance boyfriend? He pondered that real hard yesterday and all he got from it was a migraine. It was true, he was quick to jealousy. There was Elon, which was understandable, but it was more than that. It was the whole ship. The whole ship broke off pieces of his boyfriend throughout the day and all he got was the weary, leftover scraps.

Then, there was the fight. He felt so wronged even if how he chose to proceed was an error in judgement. Hyunwoo was upfront with him from the very beginning, told him this would be hard, went so far as to offer an exit. He warned him there would be times he’d be the captain behind closed doors. The problem was, even though Hyunwoo foresaw all these turbulent possibilities, Kihyun was blind to them. He naively thought this was his happily ever after with kittens and puppies and lots of sex and kisses and cuddles.

There was a split second yesterday where he almost took that exit, then he quickly buried it because it made him sick. He hated stressing about things that weren’t work related. It was new to him. Whenever the hero or heroine of Min’s and his current drama whined and pined about their lover, he used to roll his eyes and groan in disbelief, but he kind of got it now. He’d never been so invested in another person before.

He was living in his own goddamn soap opera and he couldn’t even fast-forward through the overbearing drama. He had to live it in real-time.

Kihyun pressed the button and stepped back for Hyunwoo to come in. He withdrew the toothbrush and offered a garbled ‘Good morning, Captain’ through minty foam.

Hyunwoo leaned down to kiss his toothpaste coated lips. “Good morning.”

Kihyun held up a finger and returned to the bathroom, rinsing and spitting, before returning to the living room. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

He assessed Hyunwoo under the morning sky of the holoceiling. Back home, where he grew up, dew would still be clinging to the grass and flowers, leaving the cuffs of his pants wet as he walked to school.

He’d been thinking about his childhood home a lot lately. Everybody was thinking about ‘home’ a lot lately. There was an ache inside yearning for something simpler, he wished he could ignore the ship’s present situation and the reason behind it, but he couldn’t. The Captain certainly couldn’t. “You look...rested.”

He really did, Kihyun mused. There was a clarity to him that he lacked yesterday. A quiet confidence and purpose.

Hyunwoo licked his lips, the zesty mint of Kihyun’s toothpaste tingled. He didn’t come here to make small talk. There was much to do today, but he wanted to start here. “Can you sit for a minute?” He walked over to the tiny two-seater kitchen table and took one of the wooden chairs. He honestly adored Kihyun’s eclectic taste in decor. Who had wooden chairs anymore?

‘Can you sit for a minute?’ That sounded like the polite equivalent of ‘we need to talk.’ Kihyun nodded, his heart spiking. Was this the end? Was this his punishment for even considering the exit strategy yesterday?

He walked into the kitchen, nervous beyond reason. “Uh, do you want some tea, coffee, juice?” He turned around to face Hyunwoo and placed a fist on the counter. “I could make breakfast.”

“No, thank you.” Hyunwoo’s back was to him and he had to turn in his seat to watch Kihyun fumble around in cabinets. He didn’t find whatever he was looking for and went to the fridge.

Kihyun pulled out a pitcher of orange juice and poured a glass. He turned a couple times looking around the kitchen as if he wasn’t sure he needed something else.

“Kihyun?”

Kihyun flinched. “Sorry.” He took the chair opposite Hyunwoo and cupped the glass with his hands. He looked up briefly at Hyunwoo and then back down. “Should I turn the news down? Is it too loud?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Kihyun nodded and absently took a drink, then cringed. Gross. Minty orange juice.

Hyunwoo smiled, reaching out a hand to take Kihyun’s, laying them at the center of the table. Kihyun’s eyes widened in response.

Hyunwoo’s smile slid into a frown. He looked at their hands and then up to Kihyun. “I’m sorry.”

“Wha-”

“Kihyun, please, let me talk for a minute.”

Kihyun swallowed and looked down at the table. Hyunwoo was just the kind of asshole to deliver a tender breakup and leave him broken.

“I underestimated how hard this was going to be.”

Kihyun’s stomach tightened, He tried to pull his hand away, but Hyunwoo held it secure in his own. When Kihyun relaxed, Hyunwoo put his other hand atop theirs.

“Then, I was cocky enough to overestimate my own abilities, my own character. Kihyun, I-” Hyunwoo pressed his lips together. “I need you to know how important you are to me, how special you are.”

A light sweat broke out on Kihyun’s forehead, his insides twisting in anticipation of the ‘but.’

“It turns out I suck at this. You were right, I don’t know how to separate them, especially when it counts, when you need me.”

 _Oh, fuck. No, no, no._ He’d rather be dissatisfied with Hyunwoo than not have him at all.

Hyunwoo’s top hand left theirs and smoothed up Kihyun’s forearm. Something about that action gave Kihyun pause, especially when it tightened around his arm in emotion.

Kihyun looked up at Hyunwoo, registering the regret and vulnerability etched into his face. He squeezed Hyunwoo’s hand in response.

“I’m going to try harder and, when I fail, which I’m sure I’ll do from time to time, I want you to throw as many pillows at me as you need to, scream at me to your heart’s content. And, if I’ve left you feeling bad, even once, I am so sorry.”

A shaky moan left Kihyun and his free hand flew across the table to smack Hyunwoo’s bicep. “Fuck, Hyunwoo!”

Kihyun dropped his forehead to the table.

“Ki?”

Kihyun lifted his head and glared at him. “I thought you were breaking up with me, you asshole!”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. 

Kihyun thought it the most innocent expression he’d ever seen on that face. 

“No, never. If there is one thing I can promise you, it’s that I’ll never be the one to leave. I’ll admit, there were a couple times I thought it might be better for you, for me to end it. But...I want you, and there is no going back to before, not for me. It’s too late for that. Even a year ago, I think it was too late for that. I wouldn’t be able to do it. I quite honestly can’t think of anything worse.”

Kihyun checked his eyes for the truth of that statement.

“I want you to tell me what you need from me and I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

Kihyun blinked, still reeling at not being broken-up. “I...just want you.”

“Yes, and I want you, too, but can you understand how that’s a little vague? We don’t have the same luxury as couples have. I need you to spell it out for me, as much as I’d love to get lost in there, I can’t read your mind.”

“Okay,” Kihyun said, thinking. “Like, a list?”

“If you want or you could just tell me. All at once, day by day.”

Kihyun stilled, silent.

“Is it too early for this?” Hyunwoo asked.

“No, it’s...everything I come up with sounds petty and stupid.”

“That’s fine. If it will make you happy or ease your mind in some way, I want to know. Lay it on me. Your wish is my command...within reason, of course.”

“Okay. Then...” Kihyun cleared his throat, straightening up. “I really don’t like you spending time with Elon. He likes you. It’s obvious. He’s also a total bitch to me. Though...I may have started it. But, he checks out your ass when you’re not looking and I just know he’s biding his time to make a move.”

Hyunwoo opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking about how to respond. “Okay,” he said after a minute. “How about this? Hoseok and I will work on implementing a training program for crew interested in captaincy and upper management. I will ‘review’ Elon’s progress every Monday from 1600 to 1700 until the program is up and running.”

“Agreed.”

“And, may I say, everybody checks out everybody’s ass. The crew checks out your ass when you’re not looking,” Hyunwoo informed, none too pleased. “You don’t see me banning everyone from your company.”

“You check out everybody’s ass?” Kihyun said, affronted.

“...No,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun gaped. That was a little too uncertain for Kihyun’s taste.

Hyunwoo sighed. This was supposed to be a heart-to-heart, instead they were talking about asses. “Not everybody’s,” he said. “I’ve seen you check out asses. You check out tactical’s rears all the time.”

“I do not!”

“You see, it’s so natural for you, you’re not even aware you do it. Ensign Wilder and Lieutenant Emrys could rightfully file a complaint against you. Really, if it was anybody else eyeing them to the extent you do, they probably would have. As it is, they likely get off on it. Then, there’s me. We’ve only been together for a month, but if I had a penny for every time your eyes landed on mine, I could retire. You’ve been assessing mine since the very beginning.”

Kihyun sputtered, unable to refute the truth. “Okay. Fine. From now on, the only ass I check out shall be thine. That goes for you, too.”

Kihyun licked his lips. “Have you ever checked out Elon’s?” Kihyun shook his hand in the air. “No, wait. I don’t want to know.”

Kihyun fingered his bangs back in place, trying to regain some dignity. “Moving on. I want a proper date. Can’t we sneak off to the holodeck and actually do something besides fuck and eat?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Sure. Where would you like to go?”

“Mmm...maybe a beach. We can lay out in the sun or start a holostory mystery or go fishing.”

“Fishing?” Hyunwoo said, surprised.

Kihyun reared back, offended. “What’s wrong with fishing?”

Hyunwoo lifted a shoulder. “Nothing. You...don’t seem like a fisher.”

Kihyun’s mouth pursed. “Well, I’m not, but I might be.”

“Fine. Worlds colliding couldn’t keep me from your first fishing expedition.”

Kihyun’s eyes narrowed. He was pretty sure that wasn’t complimentary, but he had more wishes to make.

“And, I don’t mean to turn this conversation into something pervy again, but you really need to let me get you off. These morning blow and run jobs need to stop.”

Hyunwoo felt like he’d just been run through, stricken sick with the thought he’d done things to Kihyun he didn’t want. “I never meant to cross the line, I thought you wanted me to decide.”

“Of course,” Kihyun rushed to assure him. “I like it, a lot, and I do love it when you take charge, but...” Kihyun’s finger absently drew x’s on Hyunwoo’s hand, still covering his right. “You like making me feel good, right?” He met Hyunwoo’s eyes, asking for understanding.

“Yes.”

“Well, I like making you feel good, too, and when you run off like that, despite thoughtful intentions, I feel bad and cheated.”

Hyunwoo’s brows drew down. He knew Kihyun physically enjoyed the experience. He always came fast and hard, his hair being pulled by an erratic Kihyun. “O-kay, so...”

“Let me suck your damn cock or put in me or, if you’re in a hurry, jack yourself over me until you cum. Then, I won’t start the day feeling like all I do is take or that you feel obligated to do it.”

“I’m sorry. If those thoughts have been lingering in your head, I’m truly sorry. There is never a time my mouth or hands are on you that you feel like an obligation. I think I felt, no,... _feel_ like I’m taking advantage of you all the time. Only coming by late at night, you’re often already asleep and it happens day after day. I guess I feel like it’s the only thing I can offer some days.”

Kihyun’s head ducked down. Didn’t he feel the same way as Hyunwoo?

“I understand,” Kihyun said quietly. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Sex was all I had to give you.”

Hyunwoo winced. Wow, they really fucked up their first month. “Kihyun, you’re more than that to me. I told you, at the very beginning, this wasn’t about you warming my bed.”

Hyunwoo squeezed his hand. Shit, this physically pained him. How could Kihyun think that? “I care about you so much. You make me happy and it’s not because of what happens between those sheets, it’s simply you. It’s your laugh, and nagging how to cut a tomato properly, it’s your excessive, but adorable vanity, your work ethic, your hunger for knowledge. You are amazing and when I’m stripping you down to the bone for a mistake out there, please remember that. You are precious to me and I’m going to do better because I don’t ever want you to feel any less than precious.”

Hyunwoo watched it happen directly before his eyes. A slight hitch of the breath, a nearly undetectable shiver and emotion drowned brown eyes blown to blue in less than a second. Kihyun slumped forward.

“Okay,” Hyunwoo soothed. He stood up, hand still over Kihyun’s, then crouched before him and pulled the body to him until he could drape Kihyun’s arms over his shoulders and pick him up.

“You’re okay.” He said that more for his own benefit than for Kihyun, then lowered the leaden body to the couch and slipped a pillow behind his head.

He tapped his commbadge. “Son to Lee. You have the bridge until I arrive.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Hyunwoo looked down at his boyfriend and bent to fix his opened robe, covering his milky thighs once again, then crawled into the narrow space behind him and drew the throw blanket over them.

Hyunwoo closed Kihyun’s lids with his fingers. “Rest. We’ll continue later.”

Turning the volume up a few clicks, they listened to the news. At least, he assumed Kihyun was listening. When the anchorman switched from the Beshian royal wedding to Starbase Kcolrehs, he clicked it off. He and everyone else on this ship had more than enough Kcolrehs shoved in their faces every day.

Head propped up on his right hand and squeezed in at Kihyun’s side and the back of the couch, he played with silky black collar of the robe at Kihyun’s neck, brushing his knuckles up and down the material. All of Kihyun’s underthings were sexy. He’d yet to see one generic looking pair of underwear, even his undershirts were seductively sheer or flimsy.

“Is it wrong to touch you when you’re like this? It feels that way. This whole thing is troubling. I can’t help but wonder if your nose itches and you can’t fix it or stress about you being cold or not positioned comfortably. And then, when I say shit out loud like this, I’m thinking you’re probably laughing at me in there or rolling your eyes or calling me a loser.”

He moved his knuckles down to his ribcage then placed his palm against him, feeling the rise and fall.

“You know, when I was a boy, when I wasn’t running around pretending to be Captain Kirk, I used to play Camelot. I was King Arthur, of course, and I’d drag this vintage motorcycle out of the garages, entirely too big for me, and wreak havoc on the estate greens, going to war on my noble steed. Used to get in so much trouble with Gamekeeper Grigg, but it was hard to take it seriously when you’re used to being put in your place by five-star generals. I think...I know I got the way I discipline from them. It’s harsh and unforgiving, but it always comes from a good place, a good intention. Every time they came down on me hard like that, it was for my own good, to keep me safe, and it worked for me. However, recently, I’m beginning to think maybe that’s not what _everybody_ needs, an unrelenting set-down. With you especially, because our situation is different, perhaps I need a different approach. To be honest, I’m not really sure what that approach should be, but I know what I did a few nights ago wasn’t right. I came down hard and then left you with no one to turn to and I’m sorry about that. It was cruel and unwarranted, but I think I was pissed and hurt enough to know it was mean and I still did it. I’m ashamed. With you, everything is magnified a hundredfold. You take up so much of my mind, so much of my heart, and it makes me a little crazy, but I should know better. I said what I needed to say the first time around and then hit you with it again. Needlessly. I wouldn’t have done that with another member of the crew.”

Hyunwoo looked at the time. Fourteen minutes had passed. He didn’t understand what was happening with Kihyun and it scared him. A month of sex and it never happened. Then, all of a sudden, it happens three times in one week, and, besides that first time, they were hardly doing anything. His hand was touching Kihyun’s. That was it. Something was wrong. Kihyun said it was no big deal, but Kihyun also said it hardly ever happens. Thrice in a week was not hardly ever. ‘It happens when I’m close?’ This was not the same thing.

Kihyun’s body was very much a mystery, even to the man himself. He didn’t want to start an argument with him, but if it happened again, he wasn’t going to let Kihyun brush it off. He’d ask him to go to Dr. Miyeon, try to discern why it was happening and if it was dangerous. He could picture Kihyun’s ‘Are you joking?’ expression at this very moment. Telling his Chief Medical Officer to go get checked out was not bound to go well, but he would and he could. As Captain, he had the authority to command tests and assessments if he was concerned about a member of the crew. This met that criteria. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.

On the other hand, who knows? Maybe Kihyun had looked into this medically before and there really wasn’t anything to worry about outside of losing a small part of the day or the occasional tardiness. Still, the thought of Kihyun falling into one of these episodes and not coming out turned his blood to ice.

He looked at the time again. Twenty-three minutes. His hand went to play with the length of the sash at his waist.

“I really liked King Arthur. I still do. The way he ruled, everyone having a voice at the table. He’s noble. The very idea of a good leader. Years ago, I had hopes and dreams I could manage something similar to Arthur. A noble ship with a worthy leader. This ship may be noble, it hasn’t done anything wrong, but I’m not a worthy leader Kihyun. I’ve done so many things, if you knew, I doubt you’d still be here. I know you feel I keep you in the dark, but the truth is, I’m trying to keep you in the light. I don’t want to tarnish you with what it is you want to know. I’m duty-bound to keep you away from the truth and you know how I am with duty and rules. I’m relieved that I’m not allowed to tell you.”

Hyunwoo grew silent. He should shut up. He shouldn’t unload on Kihyun like this. He shouldn’t be giving Kihyun a reason to take that exit, but it was...cleansing, and it felt right.

“Those things I’ve done,” Hyunwooo trailed off, hesitating.

“As much as I tell myself the means justified the ends...it worked for a while, you know? But, as more time goes on, the less power those words have. I’ve sacrificed a part of myself I can’t get back and I did it for a good reason, a noble reason, but the path has been anything but. I wanted you to know that much. You call me a golden boy, your boy scout, but I’m not. It’s laughable. I wanted to be like those knights at the round table, armor gleaming and swords shining, proud in their purpose and of their actions, but I’m not capable of it anymore. That ship set sail roughly three years ago. At best, I’m a rusted piece of junk and all I have to stand on is my role as Captain. I try to do my best, what’s right for this crew, what’s right for Starfleet and the Federation. It’s all I have. It’s the only honorable thing about me.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “I really wish you’d snap out of it so I could stop screwing myself over.”

“You make it both worse and better, you know. The shame. The guilt. You’re so intrinsically _good_. Not that many are, you’d be surprised. You don’t even have to work at it, you just are. People call you cold, aloof. I call you a brat, spoiled, greedy. You are, by the way, but you give all of yourself to your patients. Your regard for life is infinite, but then I look at myself and I think of how many times I’ve turned my back on it, the very epitome of _your_ purpose. And, you didn’t know this about me, but you do now, and it’s terrifying. I don’t deserve your comfort, your warmth, your presence which drives most of it away.”

Hyunwoo pressed his lips to blond hair, simply to feel the coolness of the drying strands against his lips, to breathe in the familiar fresh apple scent, to solidify his presence even more. 

He should stop talking. He was damning himself. Maybe a small part of him wanted to be judged by Kihyun, wanted to by punished by him.

“It’s not only the things I’ve done, but it’s that I’ve pulled other people into it, sentenced them to the same things I feel and I was about to do it again, but I stopped. That was your doing. You saved me from making an awful move, one I would have regretted for the rest of my life and I’m just so thankful. You don’t separate them, work and your heart. At times, especially in the beginning of your tenure, I thought it unprofessional. You’ll go to the ends of the universe for somebody, even if the science tells you not to or your colleagues tell you it’s time to stop. You’ll deck a surgeon from a neighboring ally to set things right or publicly denounce a hospital for failing their patients.”

Remembering, Hyunwoo huffed. It ruffled Kihyun’s hair. “You made my life so fucking hard sometimes.”

Hyunwoo cradled Kihyun’s face with his left hand. He rested his thumb on Kihyun’s lips.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but your general disregard for protocol has inspired me, saved me from feeding this darkness even more, saved me from hurting another intrinsically good person. And, I’ll probably get an earful about it in the near future. I’ve probably disappointed a couple people who look up to me, I have no idea why. But, for the first time in years, I feel like I’ve done something right, something _good_ , and I feel like there’s hope for the first time in a long time that I can find my way back, and I wouldn’t have found this without you. You’ve given it to me, _hope_ that I won’t always feel this way. So, when I say that you’re precious, this is what I mean. You’re this beautiful person, this beautiful light, and you’re far from perfect, but there you are and I love you for it.”

Hyunwoo stopped. There was nothing more to say, and he lay down all the way, hiding his face in Kihyun’s hair, hoping he didn’t mess this up. His chest was tight, anxious at how Kihyun would respond and anxious that Kihyun hadn’t responded at all. Forty-three minutes.

At fifty-one minutes, Kihyun turned into him, crying. Not silent tears, but heralded with a gasp that quickly built up to shuddering cries and hiccups for air. 

Hyunwoo took strength that Kihyun was clutching him and not pushing him away, but wasn’t sure what exactly was prompting this extreme reaction. He only held onto him, waiting for a cue, a word, a look, anything.

Kihyun let go of his uniform to wrap his arms around Hyunwoo’s neck. It was quite honestly choking him a little, but when Kihyun’s fierce embrace brought his cheek to Hyunwoo’s and a broken, “I love you, too,” melted his brain, he didn’t care about the state of his airways.

Hyunwoo closed his eyes, holding the back of Kihyun’s head and back. “Are you okay?” He asked after a while.

He felt the nod against him. “Are you sure?” He still felt the tremors run through Kihyun. He tried to get Kihyun to show him his face, but he kept it firmly in place at his neck.

“I’m blotchy,” Kihyun answered when Hyunwoo tried again.

“Look at me.”

It took a minute, but Kihyun pulled back enough to raise eyes to Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo smiled. He was blotchy. Reddened, swollen, tear stained. He was also still ice blue. “You’re beautiful,” Hyunwoo said. “A beautiful mess.”

Kihyun sniffed, licking his lips on a shuddery inhale, and Hyunwoo decided to take that as invitation, kissing him into the couch and coming over him. He kissed Kihyun until he was arching up against him, desperate. Hyunwoo was out of words, all he wanted to do now was show him. He stopped for a second, making sure they were on the same page with a look and Kihyun nodded eagerly.

Hyunwoo made short work of Kihyun’s thin robe, yanking the sash and spreading it wide. Kihyun breathed shallow underneath him, his cock was already halfway at attention. He took hold of it as he leaned back down to kiss him. Kihyun responded with abandon.

“Bed,” Kihyun panted, stopping his hand, once his blood was singing with the promise of release.

Hyunwoo pulled off and helped Kihyun up, bringing him to edge of the bed, slipping the robe off his soft shoulders and bending him over. He dropped to his haunches and licked at his hole, spreading the cheeks wide with his hands. Like always, it got to be too much for Kihyun too soon and he was on his tippy toes, jerking and moaning and dripping onto the floor.

Hyunwoo dropped to his butt and blindly opened the bottom drawer behind him, grabbing the lube. He got to his feet, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants to pull himself out. 

Kihyun looked over his shoulder, desperate, watching Hyunwoo coat his thickening cock with lube and smear the excess onto Kihyun’s waiting hole. Kihyun bit his lip, unable to tear his gaze away from Hyunwoo working his cock to fullness. He swallowed and licked his lips.

They were unusually quiet this romp. Hyunwoo often teased him mercilessly, got him off as much with his words as with his body. Yet, somehow, there was a stillness outside their breathing, and when Hyunwoo finally came up flush behind him and guided his cock to his hole, Kihyun shuddered in anticipation.

Hyunwoo groaned, pushing into the tight heat in one slow motion that had Kihyun shaking on his legs.

“Hurt?” Hyunwoo asked. He generally loosened Kihyun up something sloppy beforehand.

“Yes,” Kihyun breathed. “No,” he swallowed. “Move,” he groaned throatily.

Hyunwoo complied, taking hold of his hips and rocking into him slowly, building up the pace until he assisted Kihyun sliding up and down his cock with his hands, watching Kihyun’s cheeks slap against his uniform.

“Oh!” Kihyun started bouncing, a telltale sign he was about to explode.

“Marle to Yoo.”

Hyunwoo pulled out laughing in disbelief. Kihyun’s commbadge sat on the night stand. 

“Fuck,” Kihyun said, crawling up the bed and snatching the badge. 

He licked his lips and took a breath. “Yes, Marle?”

“Sorry. I know it wasn’t on your schedule, but we had a walk-in, so we added him since you’re usually here by now.”

Kihyun dropped his forehead onto the pillow. “It’s perfectly fine. Is it an emergency?”

“No. Fever, achiness, sore throat.”

“Understood. Go ahead and do intake. I’ll come soon. Yoo out.”

“Yeah, you will,” Hyunwoo laughed and pulled him back down the bed by the ankles. He flipped him onto his back and threw his feet over his shoulders without preamble, sinking back into him. 

Kihyun groaned, meeting Hyunwoo’s eyes as the playfulness dissolved into tenderness and solid, but unhurried thrusts.

“Your eyes are still blue,” Hyunwoo said, holding onto Kihyun’s thighs. He turned his head to bite at Kihyun’s ankle.

Kihyun gasped. “I love you.”

Hyunwoo smiled and bent down to kiss him, folding Kihyun in half. “I love you, too,” he whispered against his lips.

“Triste to Son.”

“Fucking hell,” Kihyun moaned in despair, crossing his arms over his eyes.

“Yes?” Hyunwoo replied, tapping his badge, and then lowering his hand to Kihyun’s balls, massaging them without a care as his mouth hovered over Kihyun’s.

“Ambassador Creighton has asked for a holoconference. Wanted to know if 1330 hours would be acceptable.”

Hyunwoo licked Kihyun’s parted lips, still fully rooted inside. “It might be acceptable if I knew the purpose of the conference.”

Kihyun dropped his arms to the bed.

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened at the silence, waiting for an incoming answer that wasn’t coming. 

Kihyun looked around wildly, wondering what the hell was happening. Was this on the bridge?

Hyunwoo kissed his lips then touched his badge again. “Did you maybe forget a key piece of information, Ensign?”

“Uh, working on it, Sir.”

Hyunwoo shook his head and ended the transmission, returning his attention to Kihyun, and moving inside him again. “Hold your legs in place. We need to get you to work.”

Kihyun hooked his arms under his knees. Hyunwoo picked up the pace and pushed three fingers into Kihyun’s mouth. He pressed down on the back of Kihyun’s thigh to keep him rooted in place as Hyunwoo fucked him.

Kihyun moaned around them, sucking them while his hole took a beating.

“Triste to Son.”

Kihyun whined around the digits when Hyunwoo took a hand off his thigh to hit his badge. “Yes?” He didn’t stop moving.

“Ambassador Creighton wishes to convey the Minister’s concern over his trade route in light of these new heightened security measures and would like your input and advice.”

“Captain Verish became his new point of contact after we left for Siren. He should contact the U.S.S. Saber.”

“Yes, Sir. The minister is aware, but would prefer to speak with you.”

“Very well.” Hyunwoo withdrew his fingers. “You may accept the conference.” Hyunwoo’s movements slowed, but his hand stopped on Kihyun’s belly, where he pressed down deeply while simultaneously grinding into Kihyun hard.

Kihyun’s mouth opened on a dirty, hoarse moan then threw his hands over his mouth in shock.

Hyunwoo winked at him. “Next time, get the whole picture so we may better serve our delegations. It makes us look uncoordinated if there’s too much back and forth.”

“Uh...ye-yes, Captain.”

“Son out.” Hyunwoo unclipped his badge and threw it over his shoulder, setting a hard pace.

Kihyun’s hands were still covering his mouth in shock as gasps snuck out every few seconds.

“Embarrassed?”

Kihyun lifted his hands an inch above his mouth. “Did the bridge just hear me do that?”

Hyunwoo grinned. “No. Elon spends mornings in transmissions. He heard you loud and clear, in the privacy of his ear set.”

Kihyun’s hands dropped in relief.

“Come on. Get your legs. You’ve got a sick patient waiting for you. Show me how much you care. How quickly can you cum for him?”

Hyunwoo held no bars and when Kihyun took hold of his legs again, Hyunwoo pushed down on his belly with both hands and fucked him hard.

Kihyun cried, screaming at the intensity roiling inside him. Searing jabs of pleasure burned him senseless and he forgot to breathe. When he finally gasped in air and was able to focus on Hyunwoo watching him in awe, he exploded in a chain reaction. He was vibrating with it, even his shout sounded like someone was shaking him. To his mortification, after the white ribbons of cum painted Hyunwoo’s hands, still stationed and pressing down on his belly, he peed.

His teeth were chattering, his body still lighting up with the convulsing orgasm, but he peed. Worse, he was unable to stop it. It wasn’t even a small amount. Kihyun believed in staying hydrated and he didn’t skimp on morning water intake.

Hyunwoo’s mouth opened. “Holy fuck.”

Kihyun’s hands returned to cover his mouth, not sure what one says in a moment like this.

Apparently nothing, because Hyunwoo licked the cum off the back of his hands and flipped Kihyun over again, taking him hard as Kihyun lay in his own pee.

Hyunwoo was wild with it. “Fuck, you are so hot.” He was gripping Kihyun everywhere, his ass, his thighs, his waist, the back of his neck, his hair. He couldn’t stop. “That’s not gonna leave my head all day. Ever. Christ, Kihyun.” 

Hyunwoo brutally ground into him as he reached orgasm, releasing hot surges of cum into him.

Kihyun whined, feeling that fat cock pulse inside. Oh, wow. Hyunwoo had a lot saved up. He could feel it and when Hyunwoo pulled out after fucking it all around in him, Kihyun tried his best to squeeze his hole shut. He wanted to keep it from running out, but Hyunwoo dropped between his legs on the floor and spread his cheeks wide, fingers coaxing his sensitive rim at the sides to open.

“Come on. Show me.”

This was a thing. Hyunwoo wanting to see his hole loosened and winking. Kihyun loved it, too, as it made him feel properly used, but he really didn’t want to give up Hyunwoo’s cum.

Kihyun’s stubbornness persisted and Hyunwoo pressed his face into his crack and kissed his pucker until it opened for him as easily as his mouth did for Hyunwoo’s kisses.

He pulled back. “There we go.” Hyunwoo grinned, watching to hole grasp at nothing. If he had it in him, he’d give it something to grasp at. He leaned forward again and circled his stiffened tongue around the ring.

Kihyun jumped. “Hoo.”

Hyunwoo pulled back shaking with laughter. “Did you just hoo? Like an owl?”

“No,” Kihyun said. “Shut up!”

Hyunwoo continued laughing, his forehead pressed into Kihyun’s left cheek as he held onto his legs. “You hooted.”

It took a second, but Hyunwoo’s laughter was contagious and Kihyun soon joined him.

“There it is,” Hyunwoo observed, watching cum dribble out of his hole. “Push it out.”

Kihyun bit down on his lip to stop laughing and pushed, feeling it leak out and travel down. 

Hyunwoo kissed each globe and kneaded them, leaving more sloppy kisses on his cheeks. He got to his feet and lightly slapped his ass. “Okay. Hop in the shower and rinse off. I’ll take care of this,” he said while tucking himself back inside his pants.

Kihyun stood up and wrung his hands together. “What? No, Hyunwoo. My leaking is one thing, you’re not cleaning up after I’ve wet the bed like a child.”

“I am. Are you going to stop me? You’re late for a patient. Go.”

Kihyun crossed his arms, not having it.

Hyunwoo sighed fondly. He took his face within hands and kissed him until Kihyun’s firm lips softened. “I love you, okay? So, pee, precum, really any bodily fluid you can produce, I have no problem cleaning up. Got it? Honestly, Ki, I fucked you sideways after that. It was hot as hell and I want to make you do it again.”

Kihyun blushed furiously.

“But, we’ll bench this topic for another time. We both have jobs to go to, though I’ll be hard pressed to think of anything else today.”

Kihyun about-turned and scampered back into the bathroom. He really did need to get to work. He heard a knock at the door telling him to have a good day. By the time he returned to his bedroom, both Hyunwoo and his covers were gone.

His eyes were still blue.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hyunwoo walked onto the bridge feeling like he could take on fucking universe. Changkyun was at his side giving him odd, slightly scared looks. The last time he felt this good was the Newton’s christening. He approached the helm.

“Commander Lee, thank you.”

Hoseok assessed Hyunwoo from the Captain’s chair with knowing eyes. “Anytime, Captain,” he drawled.

“Ready room. We need to discuss a few things. Lieutenant Chae, you too.”

As they followed him in, Hyunwoo turned around at the at the screen at the back wall. The current Class D planet they were searching loomed below. 

“We’re stuck,” Hyunwoo stated.

Hoseok closed his eyes, aggravated, then sat on the arm of a chair across Hyunwoo’s desk. 

Hyungwon crossed his arms and leaned back against the door.

Changkyun stood emotionless, having expected this.

Silence lingered for a moment.

“Well, this sucks,” Hyungwon said. “This was _our_ mission. Kcolrehs was ours. It’s been ours for years, now we have to sit back and twiddle our thumbs?”

“We always knew this would be a possibility. Section 31 chose to go to Starfleet and the Federation with our findings. It’s not without its own logic. Now, instead of Unit X, who no one is aware exists, there is an armada of United Starships out there doing what we would be doing.”

Hoseok shook his head. “Yeah, about as tactfully as a blind camel galloping into oncoming traffic. So, explain to me, where’s the logic behind broadcasting it across the universe? Giving them every opportunity to become more invisible than they already are? They’ve had this for a few days and they’re already botching it.”

“At least they had the sense not to release the prime suspects,” Hyungwon said.

“I didn’t call you in here to hash out the same arguments over again,” Hyunwoo said. “If there is a silver lining in all this, it’s that Siren _may_ be a place they feel safe retreating. With U.S.S. vessels on the prowl at home, they might prefer their chances out here, where there’s just us. Honestly, they could be here now and we’d be none the wiser. This place is too big to have our eyes everywhere at once.”

Hoseok grit his teeth. He hated being sidelined. “What’s next? We continue to play hopscotch, kick up dirt on every planet down the line, make sand castles under the pretense of digging for clues?”

“Hoseok, I share your disappointment, but complaining isn’t helping. It’s done. What’s next? I propose setting our sights not on the planets, but everywhere between.”

Hyungwon raised a brow in confusion. “Sir?”

Hyunwoo turned to face Hyungwon. “You said it. Wormholes. Perhaps it or they are not open at the moment, but we are relatively certain that approximately one year ago, one was used. That would leave traces. Let’s assume there is, was, one roughly a day’s trip inside the spatial radius of B8246. We analyze these traces. One, it may open. Two, we collect data and add it to our systems so that if we come across similar spaces with such anomalies, our sensors will pick it up.”

Hoseok tilted his head in consideration. “It’s a long shot, but at least it has more direction.”

“Science is going to love this,” Changkyun said.

“And, there’s the other thing we need to discuss.”

“Morale?” Hoseok asked.

“Morale,” Hyunwoo said. “Kyun, what is your impression?”

“Across the board, it’s about as low as one would expect. For half the ship, we’ve taken away their mission, their purpose. They thought we were going to be out here making new discoveries right and left. Now, they’re stuck in their labs, only able to view these planets from their screens. Then, we look at tactical, who’ve just been informed that Kcolrehs was an attack, that their loved ones were murdered, and they feel benched. They feel helpless, and, for soldiers, we all know that’s _really_ not a good thing. On top of that, with Tactical’s new schedule, with their increased presence throughout the ship, people are on edge.”

Hoseok stood up. “It’s protocol, and it’s necessary. With the around the clock teams searching planets, these shorter, but more frequent shifts are needed to keep them alert and fresh.”

Changkyun sought to appease him. “Hoseok, I’m not refuting the necessity, I’m simply stating the effects. We’ve been very lucky. This is the first time the ship has felt threatened. Miraculously, any previous combat has taken place off the ship. Now, despite being trained to react to various alerts on reflex, they're understandably anxious. They don’t know what we know: that our suspects are likely one ship with minimal crew. Their minds are creating something big, something evil, something powerful, and they’re scared. They don’t say it, but you can see it. Add to that the element we are alone out here and it spirals out of control.”

Hyunwoo came to rest his arms of the back of his chair. “Unfortunately, we are not authorized to give more information. It might exacerbate things at first, but let's implement daily drills. In the long-term, that may soothe the unease. Beyond that, I want things to return to normal as much as possible. No one’s been in the courts, the bar is deafening despite full seating, holodecks are empty. We need to send a message it’s still okay to live, to find pleasure. I will not allow the Newton to continue on this manner. We are not a ghost ship. We will talk about this more at our weekly meeting with the others, but this change will start with us, with the department heads. So, think about some things we could do, maybe a basketball championship between different departments or a reason for a party or celebration; I haven’t married anybody in a while. But, it has to start with us looking normal and _living_ for others to feel comfortable following suit.”

Changkyun smiled. “I can come up with a list and present it at our meeting. I have a lot of ideas.”

Hyunwoo returned his smile. “Good. You’ve been exceptionally overworked this week Kyun. Thank you for making yourself so available to the crew.”

Changkyun shrugged. It was his job.

“I will go ahead and tell you now. I’ve decided against bringing Jooheon in. I’m more than willing to hear your arguments again if you feel the need to air them, but know that I’ve made my decision.”

Hoseok and Hyungwon looked down, displeased.

Hyunwoo waited for a beat, but when no one commented, he moved on. “Very well. I’ll see you all again at 1100’s department meeting. Hoseok, inform the crew of daily drills. Begin today. They should know there will be one daily, but not the type or time. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Hoseok said.

“Hyungwon, once our away team is back on board, take us back to B8246. We will begin right away.”

“Changkyun, you had a few things to bring to me?” Hyunwoo checked, remembering why Kyun was with him in the first place.

“Yes, Captain.”

Hyunwoo looked to Hyungwon and Hoseok. “Dismissed.”

They left and Changkyun took a seat while Hyunwoo sat behind his desk.

“You look good,” Changkyun started.

“I feel good,” Hyunwoo replied. “What did you have for me?”

“A little bit of a rooming snag.”

Hyunwoo huffed. “Are you serious? Amidst all this?”

Changkyun sighed. He couldn’t believe the situation either. “I’m going to try my best not to sound like we’re in high school, but here we go. Tactical’s Cadet Luna Tram was seeing Ensign Merka from Science. That fell through shortly before we set out for Siren: Merka broke it off with her mid-vacation while she was visiting her parents. Fast forward to two weeks ago, Luna and her roommate, Cadet Noble Price, were drinking in the arboretum after hours-”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. Bold.

“-and Noble wasn’t in the right mind to be watching what she said.”

“Hmm.” Hyunwoo nodded slowly. He could see where this was going.

“So, as they were comparing certain anatomical attributes of previous lovers, Noble wholeheartedly agreed with Luna’s assessment of Ensign Merka’s... attribute.”

Changkyun sighed yet again. “As you can imagine, that prompted Luna to ask how she would know, and, low and behold, we find the reason Merka broke it off with Luna. While Luna was having a nice time with her family and friends, Merka was having an even nicer time with Noble...in their quarters, in the arboretum-”

Damn. Maybe Hyunwoo had been underestimating the appeal of the arboretum. 

“-the pool, the bathroom stall at the Federation Underground, in between Building C and the Gymnasium at the Academy. You get the picture.”

“I do. So, Cadet Noble needs to be reassigned.”

“If only it were that.”

“There’s more?”

“So, now we fast forward to the day we told the crew about Kcolrehs. Noble and Luna had been giving each other the silent treatment. However, the news put them in a state of vulnerability, and, one thing led to another. Needless to say, they became...close again.”

“Good for them. So, what’s the problem?”

“That Noble and Luna weren’t the only ones feeling vulnerable.”

Hyunwoo rubbed his forehead. “Oh, God.”

“So, later that night, while cooling off with some ice cream in the mess hall, Ensign Merka appears. Downcast, upset, shaken, a little bit drunk, and the three of them get to reminiscing. To be honest, things become a little unclear to me at this point, but that reminiscing leads them to one of the racquetball courts. Let’s just say they played quite a round.”

“How many times are they going to defile my ship?”

“That was it, Sir. At least, as of four days ago that was it.”

“What did you tell them?”

“It was Luna and Noble that came to me and brought me up to speed with more imagery than necessary, but their request was to move to a larger room with Merka or, if not possible, have Merka moved to their room. I told them to take some time to think it through to be sure it was what they wanted before I approached you. They took two days and came to me first thing this morning.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “A larger room is out of the question. This isn’t the Hilton and I’m not a concierge. Now, to have Merka transferred into their cabin? A cadet’s cabin wasn’t made for three occupants. Space issue aside, I think it’s safe to assume this is for polyamorous reasons, there are only two single beds and they are literally welded into opposite sides of the wall. Aside from that, unless you are of a certain rank, you have a roommate. That is regulation. Who is Ensign Merka’s roommate?”

“That would be Ensign Jay Benedict from Medical.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “If Ensign Benedict suddenly has a room of his own, it won’t be long before others ask the same. It is not fair. You may tell the affectionate trio that I don’t care if Merka spends every damn night in their cabin and they spend the midnight hours making sweet love in a pillow fort, but there will not be any transfers. He is and will remain Ensign Jay Benedict’s roommate.”

Changkyun slumped in relief. “Very good, Sir.”

“Was that all?”

Changkyun cringed. “Not exactly.”

Hyunwoo leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Go on.”

“Ensign Hana and Ensign Cha have broken up.”

“Say it ain’t so,” Hyunwoo mumbled.

“Only, no one is too keen on changing roommates at the moment. We _could_ force a change, but-”

Hyunwoo raised a hand to stop. “No, no. I don’t want to uproot anybody to make those two happy. We already played musical rooms two months ago to accommodate their relationship. The request for transfer has been submitted, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then, they can be adults and wait for someone else to submit a request. If it’s unlivable for them and Ensign Benedict and Ensign Merka are okay with it, Ensign Cha can room with Benedict. Unofficially. Understanding the lengths to which others are taking for him. This is contingent upon Benedict’s and Merka’s consent. Make it clear to Ensign Cha that if Benedict needs a break from him, he is to return to his assigned cabin with Hana. If Ensign Merka needs a break from Luna or Noble or both and decides to spend the night in his official quarters, that he is to find another place to sleep. If Merka wakes up in the middle of night and decides he misses his old pal Benedict, Cha is to leave immediately. Who didn’t see this coming?”

“I thought I left my RA days behind me.” Changkyun laughed, tired of the drama. “Is this what you signed up for when you became Captain?”

Hyunwoo smiled shaking his head. “Most assuredly not.”

Hyunwoo looked imploringly at his counselor. “Please tell me that’s it.”

“That’s it.” Changkyun opened his mouth to add something, but closed it.

“Well, don’t stop now. May as well keep going.”

“It’s Kihyun.”

That had Hyunwoo’s interest. “What about him?”

“This isn’t coming from a professional position, you understand. Recently, I’ve overheard some negative, derogatory remarks about him. Concerning you.”

Hyunwoo narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

“Without getting too lurid,-”

“Get lurid. What is being said and who is saying it?” Hyunwoo demanded.

“Everything from him playing the victim to get your attention, to seducing you on Terlesia to get favorable funding on his bone replication design, to...the more distasteful.”

“More distasteful than that?” Hyunwoo asked dryly. “What?”

“That he drops to his knees in front of you to get out of community service and generally bends over and uses his Bemonian charms to get what he wants.”

“I see. Where have you been hearing this?”

“Mess hall. People have seen Kihyun leaving your quarters and you leaving his. It’s raised some brows. I know it’s not fair. There’s hardly a soul on this ship who hasn’t snuck off back to their own quarters in the wee morning hours. However, you are the Captain, and people react to it differently. And, if I may return to a professional capacity, on Kihyun’s behalf, I would recommend coming out with it.”

“I find myself agreeing.”

“He’s worked hard to get to where he is now, I don’t want him to hear those words, have them crawl and take root in the back of this head again.”

“I’ll talk to him. He never wanted to hide it. I thought it best to keep it low-key for a while, but it appears that’s not the case.”

Hyunwoo sat in silence for a moment. He wondered if Kihyun already caught wind of this. Is it something he would have kept to himself? Another thought occurred to him.

“Kyun, in your professional experience, have you ever come across people who...um, physically dissassociate or become unresponsive?”

Changkyun’s eyes widened at the question. “Well, certainly there are reasons one would become those things. Have I ever come across it? Lots of times. Usually, unresponsiveness is instigated by fear or trauma. Not in a freezing manner, mind you, freezing is a response, but more of an acknowledgement of helplessness. Unresponsiveness can also be a product of depression. I would say that disassociating is quite different from being unresponsive. For example, people who believe they are possessed are disassociating. Their awareness is lowered or narrowed. Whereas being unresponsive, one may or may not be completely in tune with their surroundings.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

Changkyun regarded him for a minute. “Okay. If you were concerned about someone, you could refer them to me.”

“I know. Thank you.” Hyunwoo turned on the holoscreen. “I’ll let you break the news to our lovers.”

“How thoughtful, Captain.” Changkyun rose. “I’ll see you at 1100.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Kihyun worked through the morning, treated Cadet Willow for the flu, then called in her roommate and colleagues for resistance shots. The last thing the Newton needed was fevered scientists working with dangerous chemicals and substances, then he’d really have his hands full. At some point in the morning his eyes returned to brown, and the curious questions from Science and his own personnel ceased.

Minhyuk was the last to arrive for his inoculation.

“A little late to the party, Min,” Kihyun said, administering the antigenic to his neck.

“Figured I could collect you on my way to our most reverent of meetings.”

Kihyun rolled his eyes. They hated departmental meetings, too much of it was spent on subjects not pertinent to their own departments. The only positive was the eye candy known as Captain Son Hyunwoo.

“Don’t I get a lollipop or something?” Minhyuk asked.

“You’re incorrigible,” Kihyun said, but opened a drawer and handed him a mystery pop. 

They set out for the meeting room on Deck Five, their hands shoved into the big pockets their white coats.

“You look especially pretty today,” Minhyuk said around the sucker.

Kihyun grinned. “We confessed.”

“Well, hot damn. It’s no wonder you look like a sun. Was it romantic?”

“It was...unique. Unplanned.”

Minhyuk nodded. “It’s better that way, when it’s in the moment. Less cheesy.”

Kihyun smiled, looking down at the floor. He felt lighter, like the gravity fields were malfunctioning, but his boots tapped against the floors like they always did. Not only that, his mind felt limitless, not bogged down by stress and questions.

Kihyun nudged Minhyuk’s arm with his own. “How’s your project with the Cretener venom? Anything interesting? I’ve been waiting to read your report, wondering if it could be applied as a coagulant for lichen tribate poisoning.”

“Ooh.” Minhyuk pulled the sucker from his mouth, extending and moving his hands about as he always did when intrigued by something.

His sucker hit Changkyun in the forehead, always so unnervingly silent, and the counselor snatched it from Minhyuk’s fingers and popped it into his own mouth.

“Thank you,” Changkyun said, walking past them.

Minhyuk gasped in outrage and kicked his foot out to hit him in the ass, but Changkyun was too spry for him, easily sidestepping and disappearing into the meeting room with an annoying grin.

“I earned that! You’ll get what’s coming to, Im! Mark my words!” Minhyuk shouted after him. “I swear, he’s bipolar. He is a literal kid 80% of the time, then turns on Mr. Calm and Collected whenever Captain is in earshot.”

Kihyun smiled. “That _kid_ has successfully brokered alliances with over thirty planets, stopped four wars from starting, talked three into ending, and puts up with every crew member’s bullshit from sun up to sun down. I guarantee you he expends more that twenty percent of his time being an adult.”

Minhyuk grimaced. “What’s with you?”

Kihyun bit down on a grin and hooked his arm through Minhyuk’s. “I’m seeing things more clearly, that’s all.”

“And, last as always, Dr. Lee and Dr. Yoo. At least you’re predictable,” Captain Son said, taking a seat. “Let’s get started. First off, I’d like to congratulate Lee Jooheon. His rotating transglomater has not only been approved, but selected for production next quarter.”

“Congratulations, Joo,” Kihyun said. “We should celebrate later.”

Jooheon was happy, if awkward under everyone’s well wishes. “Thank you,” he replied.

Hyunwoo smiled, waiting for the praise to die down. Jooheon really was spoiled by this group. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “Now, on to the next order of business, some of you were unaware, but we made a case to return home in light of our discovery on B8246. Tactical and I believed it was the best course, to assist Starfleet in this massive investigation.”

Hyunwoo propped a foot on his knee and rested his arms on the chair, getting comfortable. “Our case was denied. As such, we will remain in Siren for the unforeseeable future. On the plus side, we were already prepared for a long expedition out here, so, on that front, not much has changed. However, our objective is hazy at best and I would like to return and instill a sense of purpose to our various departments. As we speak, Helm is changing course for B8246. Lieutenant Chae has proposed wormholes as the means of travel taken by our elusive inhabitants.”

Hyunwoo turned to Minhyuk. “Dr. Lee, I would like you to run head on this. Form a team you believe best suited for this study, collect any personnel you want. If you run into any difficulties or red tape, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

‘ _Oh, boy_ ,’ Kihyun thought. Min had that diabolical mad scientist look on his face.

“Yes, Captain,” Minhyuk replied gleefully, a smile stretched disturbingly wide.

“Jooheon, I’d like you to work with tactical on outfitting the ship with more defenses in the off chance we need to perform a starship separation. This is a worst-case scenario, but it is best to be prepared. Tactical and I have gone through it many times over the years, where the ship is weakest, and we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not where, but when.”

“Cool,” Jooheon said, intrigued, nodding his head. “I mean, yes, Captain.”

Hyunwoo raised a brow at Jooheon and delivered a ‘watch yourself’ look before swiveling slightly to Changkyun at his side. “And, now we move on to the crew in general. I’m going to hand it over to Dr. Im at this time.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Changkyun said, dropping the sucker onto a file and commanding the room with his usual calm.

“As you can imagine, the general consensus on the ship is that life, if I may quote a certain stressed Cadet in Helms, ‘sucks balls’ right now. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, I will quote yet another Cadet from my own department. ‘If I have to see another god damn red shirt taking up space on every god damn hall I have to walk down and every damn lift I have to get off on and at every damn table in the cafeteria at every damn hour of the day, I’m going to fucking loose it.’”

“Sounds like they already have,” Kihyun mumbled.

“That may be,” Changkyun said. “But, no one is unaffected by theses changes. Yesterday, I was speaking with someone from your labs, Dr. Yoo, and they are very much dissatisfied. The research groups are too big, they don’t feel they have a voice in such a large setting, there’s not enough work to go around.”

That cut deep. Kihyun felt that one good. But, what was he supposed to do? They were meant to be collecting more and more samples to make more research groups and then they were cut off from the means of acquiring them. A whole year and a half too early.

“It’s not anybody’s fault,” Changkyun said, “But, it is our reality. For the majority of the ship, their work and professional life has taken a brutal plummet, which is why it is our responsibility to ensure the other aspects of their life are flourishing.”

“Why do I feel like you’re about to roll out a white board?” Minhyuk said.

“Almost,” Changkyun said, turning on the holoscreen.

A schedule appeared on the screen for the next three months. “Can you tell me what this is?”

“A calendar,” Kihyun deadpanned.

“No,” Changkyun said. “It’s misery. It’s three months of nothing. Three months of no change.”

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo. “Am I in the wrong room? Have we become a social committee?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes were serious, but the corner of his lip curled up in amusement. “For the sake of our ship, Dr. Yoo, yes, we have.”

Kihyun sat back in his chair, shaking his head. He was doctor, a researcher; he wasn’t a party planner. If people were that unhappy, they ought to take up a hobby. Like yoga or fishing or zumba or literally anything that would keep him from catering to the humdrum masses.

Changkyun continued. “So, I’ve come up with quite a few ideas so far, but I would like everyone to contribute their own. There has to be something to look forward to. For starters, I’ve talked to cartology and they’ve agreed to grant us access to their gallery on Thursday evenings, where we will show movies. Dining has already signed on to provide refreshments.”

Thursdays on the calendar lit up with the information.

Oh...that...actually did sound nice. Maybe he was being too hasty in his judgement.

“In addition, the anniversary of our ship’s namesake is coming up in three weeks. Sir Isaac Newton. I propose a cocktail party. It will give the crew a chance to dress up, wear something they didn’t think they’d have the opportunity to for another two years. Not to mention, it’s a prime place for people to make new connections, cultivate new relationships.”

Minhyuk’s diabolical smile returned.

The party also wrote itself into the calendar.

“Does anybody have anything they wish to add at this point?” Changkyun asked.

Kihyun opened his mouth then closed it. He felt like a hypocrite after condemning it.

“Dr. Yoo?” Changkyun prompted.

“...We could send out a poll so the crew could vote on the movies shown. That way they feel more invested, maybe build some excitement.”

“Very good. I like it.” Changkyun penciled that into his tablet.

“Uh...also, there will be a baby in that last month. We could plan a shower. I know that her friends were already planning a small one, but extending it to the ship could be rather special. The Newton’s first extraterrestrial.”

“Perfect. When is the due date?”

“The twenty-first.”

“Okay. I’ll work on that,” Changkyun said, jotting more notes into his tablet.

“I could do it, you know, if you’re too busy. Get in touch with her friends.”

Changkyun looked up, surprised. “Um. Yes, that would great. Thank you.”

Hyunwoo smiled trying not to laugh at Kihyun. All up in arms about being turned into a social committee and now he was volunteering to plan a baby shower three minutes later.

“We’ve also talked about sporting events, competitions,” Hoseok spoke up.

“Yes,” Changkyun said, getting back on track. “So, starting next week, on Mondays, the courts will be reserved for basketball championships. Three teams will be cut each week until we are left with our winners. It is my hope that as the competition grows more fierce, the more the crew will become invested, come to watch, come to cheer, especially as teams are compromised of one department. I’m going to ask for five teams from each department. Tuesday’s will be for soccer. Wednesday’s for tennis.”

The calendar lit up more. “For the time being, this all I have to add to the calendar, but I am hoping to fill it as much as possible. I’ve also commissioned a few specialists to create more holodeck applications for our library. And,” Changkyun said, looking back to Kihyun, “using your earlier suggestion, I think it might be nice to send out a poll, asking what kind of places they would like seen being added to the holodeck master list.”

Hyunwoo caught Changkyun’s eye, checking to make sure he was done. At his returning nod, Hyunwoo swiveled back to the table at large. “Okay. That about does it. This was possibly the shortest meeting we’ve ever had, but considering all the roadblocks in our way, that is to be expected. Commander Lee, Jooheon, if you will meet and discuss how you wish to proceed and then send me a draft. Dr. Lee, please inform me of your team as soon as possible so I may speak with their supervisors. Dr. Im, the calendar looks great. If you have another idea and people are giving you push back, let me know.”

Hyunwoo blew out a breath. They were done. He was usually drained after these, but he felt refreshed. “Dismissed. Enjoy your lunches.”

Everyone stood up, beginning to shuffle out. Hyunwoo stayed put, writing in his tablet. Kihyun hesitated at the door then told to Jooheon and Minhyuk he’d catch up in a minute.

“Captain?” Kihyun asked.

Hyunwoo looked up from his screen and smiled. “Yes? What is it?”

The door closed after Changkyun.

Kihyun took the seat across Hyunwoo from the table. “I couldn’t help but notice Medical was the only department you didn’t assign a task to.”

Hyunwoo put the tablet down. “It wasn’t intentional if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, I know, I wasn’t implying that, but...everybody has their own mission now. Changkyun’s shouldering morale. You’re setting Min loose to deal with wormholes of all things. Joo and Hoseok are revamping defenses. Hyungwon’s always at the Helm, so he’s always relevant.”

“Do you not feel relevant?” Hyunwoo asked, completely at a loss.

Kihyun looked down at the table, unable to articulate his thoughts.

“Dr. Yoo,” Hyunwoo stated. “Medical is vital. It always has been and it always will be. You just saved Science from crumbling under the flu, which would have kept Dr. Lee from his new assignment. You’re helping three exceptional women bring new lives into this world.”

Kihyun squeezed his hands together, knuckles white in strain. “I don’t know how I can help the ship the way everyone else it. You heard what Dr. Im said, I don’t even know how to help my own department. What would you do in my situation?”

Hyunwoo felt for the man, he really did. Dr. Yoo was dealt a crappy hand. “Nobody was hit harder on this ship than Science and Medical, and I just gave Science its saving grace. The two departments that were the most excited for this trip were dealt a huge blow. Your whole reason for coming out here in the first place was snatched from your hands. Dr. Yoo, my advice?”

Kihyun looked up at him, nodding.

“Is to keep doing what you’re doing.”

Kihyun’s shoulders dipped. That answer wasn’t helping.

“You’re not going to be able to please everybody. It’s out of your hands. But, you are doing what you should be, which is assigning tasks, providing structure, ingratiating yourself into each team so they feel seen and important.”

Kihyun’s mouth popped open.

“Yes, I know. I have eyes and ears everywhere. You’re burning the candle at both ends making time for each research team on top of patients. You’re doing a great job.”

Kihyun sighed and slumped into his chair, sliding down it a little. “Hyunwoo?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “Yes, kitten?”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I don’t want my department to hate me. I want them to like me.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “They do like you. More than you think, that’s for sure. I’m privileged enough to read their assessment of you at your yearly review. Perhaps a little scared of you at times, but they admire you, are inspired by you, want to learn under you.”

Kihyun blushed a little. He wasn’t aware.

“Ki, Dr. Yoo, I don’t really know who I’m speaking as right now, but listen. I understand you don’t feel like you’re stepping up to the plate like the others get to. Honestly, I feel that way being stuck out here. But, Medical is always at the plate. My goodness, I was balls deep in you this morning and you were ready to sprint down to sickbay. Maybe Medical doesn’t seem as exciting as it did a week ago, but it’s always relevant. Understood?”

Kihyun offered a small smile. “Yes, Sir.”

“Hungry?” Hyunwoo asked, looking at the clock. There was time for lunch. He had that conference at 1330, but that was enough time to eat, check in with Helms, respond to Section 31 command and get back here for the holoconference with Hoseok for the Minister.

Kihyun looked at Hyunwoo, eyes dropping to his chest, his torso, his foot was still propped on his knee and Kihyun stared at his crotch. He was always so hot. He was just _sitting_ , and he was hot. “I am,” Kihyun said, eyes returning to meet Hyunwoo’s.

Hyunwoo nodded, happy. “Okay, let me finish entering this and we can grab a table.”

Kihyun licked his lips. “Are you still granting wishes?”

“Mm-hmm,” Hyunwoo answered, scrolling down the tablet to enter something new.

“Good.” Kihyun dropped down from the chair.

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened, lifting up from the screen, and then down to the floor at his feet as Kihyun crawled to him under the table.

Hyunwoo lowered his leg to the floor so Kihyun could come up between them.

He did, pressing his face into his crotch and looking up at him. “I’m hungry and you’re clearly busy and I think we should multitask.” Kihyun took hold of his calves and rolled Hyunwoo’s chair closer to the table.

Fuck. He couldn’t even see Kihyun like this, but he felt Kihyun unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, felt Kihyun’s breath on his cock as he pulled it out. Was this happening?

Kihyun stuffed him into his mouth.

Yes, holy fuck, it was.

“Shit, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo moaned, his hands coming down to Kihyun’s hair.

Kihyun pulled off. “No, Captain. Get to work. I know I am.”

Hyunwoo withdrew his hands to the top of the table and Kihyun swallowed him down again. He shakily scrolled down the tablet, stopping to edit something. This wasn’t going to work. Still, he tried his hardest to keep reading Engineering’s report, making notations every couple paragraphs.

Kihyun slurped noisily pulling off and flicked his tongue relentlessly against the underside of his cock.

Hyunwoo’s hand dropped the tablet. “Mmm, yeah, just like that. Ah-”

“Work, Captain. I’m not here,” Kihyun said, then laved at his slit wetly.

‘Not here?’ How the fuck? Kihyun had some seriously screwy fantasies. He picked the tablet back up and actually managed to write two sentences when Kihyun took him all the way down. His knee jerked up and banged the table. He was fully hard in Kihyun’s glorious mouth. He wanted to see those pretty lips stretched around him.

The door slid open and Hyunwoo gripped the tablet. A cheaper tablet would have cracked in his hands. _Elon._

“Captain? Is this okay? Commander Lee told me you were probably still here. I was hoping to catch a second.”

“Swing by my ready room later. It’s not a good time.” Kihyun pulled off and swirled his tongue around his head.

Elon blinked. “Oh...sure. Uh, it’ll only take a minute, Captain, or I would have requested an appointment as protocol dictates.”

Hyunwoo blew out a steady breath. He wasn’t sure what Kihyun was doing down there. Gently sucking, nibbling down his cock.

He looked at Elon. “Okay. Let’s have it.” He motioned for him to come forward.

Elon nodded and took Kihyun’s abandoned seat. “I received your email about the new training regimen.” 

Hyunwoo nodded. “Good. I think you’ll find a program where you can learn and grow with others at your side to be beneficial.”

“Yes, I think it’s great. Really. But...it sounds like it’s going to take a while to get up and running and I don’t want to lose any traction in the meantime.”

Kihyun kissed his tip and then buried his head at the juncture of his thigh and bit the sensitive flesh.

Hyunwoo jerked, hitting his knee on the table yet again. He cleared his throat. “Whether or not you lose traction in the meantime is up to you. The holodecks are always available for training.”

Kihyun laved lovingly at the bite mark.

“You’re absolutely correct, but I was learning so well under you, making all this progress, and I-”

“Ensign,” Hyunwoo interrupted and Kihyun wrapped his lips around him again.

Hyunwoo coughed. “Ensign,” he tried again. “I don’t have the luxury to continue training you. Are you unaware of what’s happening on the ship right now?”

Kihyun suctioned his mouth ever so slightly.

Hyunwoo just about had a hard attack thinking Elon could hear.

“Yes, Sir.”

“We all have to make do. If there is a will, there is a way. I trust you’ll find it. Continue as I’ve shown you. I’ll review your progress on Monday.”

He hit the back of Kihyun’s throat and Hyunwoo’s hand hit the table.

Ensign Triste startled. This wasn’t going as he planned. Hyunwoo seemed angry with him. He was getting red.

“Understood?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yes, Captain. I understand. Then, if I could just pick your brain for a second. Monday’s still a ways away.”

Kihyun sucked on his head and held onto his cock. Hyunwoo knew from experience exactly what Kihyun looked like right now. Hyunwoo closed his eyes. “Yes,” he sighed. If he died right here, he’d have no complaints.

Elon blew out a breath, relieved. “Thank you, Sir. I keep failing this one simulation.”

Kihyun ever so slowly pulled off him and grabbed his cock, lifting him up so he could pay attention to his balls.

Hyunwoo rested his chin on a fist. This was impossible. “Simulation?”

“Yes, Sir. It’s very hard. So much is happening all at once and I don’t know what to do.”

“I see,” Hyunwoo said, wishing he could see Kihyun right now because both his balls were stuffed into Kihyun’s mouth and saliva was pooling, probably running down Kihyun’s chin and neck. The man had no shame.

Elon nodded eagerly, leaning forward against the table, ticking off each piece of information on his fingers. “So, the ship is in a quadrant unknown to Starfleet. We have no enemies or allies. As we are travelling across this quadrant, our engines fail. We sit this way for three days trying to figure out what’s wrong. We reroute power and we reboot systems, but it doesn’t work. Then, we’re hailed by a ship. It’s a scouting ship for a planet called Grith. Apparently they are at war with another planet in the area, the Hesper. Now, as the Girth are offering to help, a Hesper war ship comes out of warp and hails us. I open a channel.”

Kihyun sunk back down his cock again, starting a steady rhythm.

Hyunwoo nodded absently, thighs flexing under the table.

“The Hersperian General warns us vacate the premises as we are in the middle of a war zone. We explain we can’t, we’re stuck, but the Grith are providing aid so that we may leave.”

Kihyun had that beautiful gentle sucking pace going on that turned Hyunwoo brain dead. Unhurried but deadly with how suddenly he could force a orgasm. It always took him be surprise. Every time.

Hyunwoo licked his lips and rocked his hips just once into Kihyun’s mouth.

He needed to get this kid out of here. “By my count, you’ve made two mistakes so far. One, you failed to discharge the deuterium. That would have allowed sensors to tell you where the problem lay. You may have been able to fix your engines and bypass this diplomatic dilemma altogether. Second, and this is why you fail, when a non-Federation people tells you they are at war, you are to immediately respond with the Prime Directive. If the simulation doesn’t pick up those trigger words, it’s an immediate fail.”

Fuck, it was hard to sit up straight right now. “Ensign, these are principle concepts. The deuterium I can understand to an extent. You don’t have background in Engineering, but the Prime Directive drives everything in Starfleet. You should have known exactly how to react.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Furthermore, as I’ve explained before, a good Captain knows his ship. It’s time to pick up an engineering book. You have to understand your systems. It’s imperative. What happens when the core blows and takes out all of Engineering with it? You need to know the basics at the very least.”

“Yes, Captain. This has been helpful.” Elon stood up. “Do you think I could ask you some more later tonight? You know, like we used on our way to Siren, all casual? I got so much from those conversations.”

“No. Ensign, I have other priorities. Continue to train with the simulations until the program is ready. Now, I need to return to work. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, Sir.”

When the door closed behind Elon, Hyunwoo rolled back in his chair.

Kihyun pulled off, lips red and smug. “Ready to discharge your deuterium, Captain?”

Hyunwoo’s mouth parted. “Oh...kitten.” Hyunwoo shook his head. Kihyun had pulled himself out so as not to get his uniform wet and a tiny puddle lay between Kihyun’s splayed thighs.

Kihyun bit his lip and shrugged. “You making Elon feel dumb may be the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Hyunwoo bit down on a grin. “You’re not going to tell me get back to work right now, are you?”

“No. I’m going to tell you to fuck my face like you mean it.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “Computer. Lock doors.”

_Locking doors._

“Take your pants off.”

Kihyun blinked but got to his feet, they were asleep from being stuck down there so long. “Pretty sure I told you to fuck my face, Captain.”

“And I’m pretty sure I told you to take your fucking pants off,” Hyunwoo warned.

Kihyun smiled and slid his pants down his legs. They bunched at tops of his boots.

“Good enough.” Hyunwoo maneuvered him onto the table, laying him on his back and pulling him forward until his head hung off the ledge.

“Remember. You asked for this,” Hyunwoo said, guiding his cock past Kihyun’s lips.

Kihyun hummed his consent, at which point, Hyunwoo bottomed out.

Kihyun coughed, eyes welling, as Hyunwoo stayed rooted.

“Ah, you feel so fucking good,” Hyunwoo murmured. Kihyun was already getting the hang of it, relaxing his throat, breathing through his nostrils.

“Leaking all over yourself. You know, in about an hour, the Minister of Oterim is going to be right where your little cock is. Tell me, how am I supposed to conduct business with that image in my head?”

Kihyun’s eyes fluttered closed. This was heaven. Mouth stretched wide, mouth full. Hyunwoo’s balls sat on his nose and he couldn’t think.

Hyunwoo pet Kihyun’s cheeks, tracing his cheekbones with his fingers. Then, smoothed hands over his jaw and down his neck before travelling back up to the sides of his face. “You’re alarming good at this, Ki. Makes me wonder how much you can take before you beg me to stop.”

Hyunwoo stuck a thumb into Kihyun’s mouth alongside his cock, stretching his lips further. “Show me two fingers,” Hyunwoo said.

Kihyun raised two fingers from his chest.

“Good,” Hyunwoo soothed. “If you need to stop, that’s what you do.”

Hyunwoo took hold of Kihyun’s face and moved. Kihyun immediately gagged, but Hyunwoo continued slowly, gagging him over and over again until Kihyun learned to loosen. Once he did, he moved harder, doing exactly as Kihyun asked: fucking his face like he meant it. Chokes and gags met his ears, but he kept going, his balls hit Kihyun in the face. He wrapped a hand around Kihyun’s throat and a pitiful whine left Kihyun.

Keeping an eye on the fingers at Kihyun’s chest, he ground in deep, choking Kihyun hard. Kihyun’s fingers curled into his uniform at chest, but didn’t come up. Hyunwoo ran his eyes down Kihyun and licked his lips.

“Ki, you look like you’re about to explode. What’s that about? You getting off on this?” He ground in deep again then humped his face.

Hyunwoo was done. Taking Kihyun like this was too much. Wholly vulnerable and pliant for him. Then, looking at how much this turned Kihyun on was the final straw. Precum bathed down Kihyun’s erect cock onto his stomach, down his sides to the table. 

Hyunwoo wasn’t proud of how violently he rammed his cock down Kihyun’s throat in the end or of how quickly he came, jerking hard into Kihyun’s abused throat while he coughed on cum.

When he pulled out, he dropped to his knees, ashamed. “I’m sorry.” He kissed Kihyun’s temple.

Kihyun breathed heavily and brought his hand to the back of Hyunwoo’s head in comfort. He turned his head to the side and kissed Hyunwoo’s forehead.

Hyunwoo opened his eyes at Kihyun’s whine and saw him yanking at his own cock. Hyunwoo licked his lips, already tasting Kihyun’s sweetness on his tongue, but that’s not what he did.

He got up onto the table, bent Kihyun in half until his ass was up in the air and went to town on his unsuspecting hole. Kihyun cried at the surprise, so hoarse, and Hyunwoo growled at his rim, plunging his tongue inside.

He pulled away and pressed down over Kihyun to meet his eyes, but he couldn’t see them. Kihyun’s face obscured by the pants bunched up at his ankles. His shoes hit the desk behind his head. Hyunwoo reached over him to yank one off and work the pants off of one foot. Once free, Kihyun’s legs spread and Hyunwoo was finally able to smile down at him.

“Kihyun, we cannot make a habit of this. Understand?”

“Yes,” Kihyun rasped.

“Okay. Just making sure we understand each other. We’re both on duty. This is it, right here.”

Hyunwoo pulled Kihyun’s ass up higher until only Kihyun’s upper back and head remained on the table. Kihyun’s feet hit the table and Hyunwoo watched Kihyun’s cock drip onto his own damn face, onto his swollen lips, his lashes.

Jesus Christ. He was going to hell because he definitely didn’t change a thing to stop it, just dived back into his hole, licking and sucking until Kihyun was trembling. He pushed his tongue in deep and fucked him on it, slurping dirtily at it.

Kihyun’s whines built until he cried out. Hyunwoo could feel him convulse around his tongue and rumbled his approval. Licking a few last times he pulled back, lowering Kihyun’s body back to the table gently.

When Kihyun’s face came into view, Hyunwoo laughed gently, though he felt guilty. “Oh, Ki, I’m sorry.” Kihyun’s face was washed with precum, with cum and his eyes were squinted closed. 

“Here.” Hyunwoo curled over him, licking away the worst of it then kissing Kihyun’s lips softly. “Stay there. I’m gonna make this right.”

Hyunwoo slipped off the table, putting his cock away for the second time that day, and brought a pitcher of water and napkins to Kihyun. 

“Keep your eyes closed.” He dunked a napkin into the pitcher and wrung it out, bringing it to Kihyun’s flushed face and wiping him clean. “Okay. All better.”

Kihyun opened his eyes. “You’re sadistic.”

“A little,” Hyunwoo admitted, wetting another napkin and cleaning Kihyun’s stomach, his crotch. “I have a mind to think you like it though.”

Kihyun smiled, letting Hyunwoo pull him off the table and dress him.

Hyunwoo stepped back and assessed his lover. “Would you look at that? Your uniform is unscathed. This must be a first.”

Kihyun gave him an unimpressed face.

Hyunwoo put a finger to his lips in concentration. “This hair though...”

Hyunwoo combed his fingers through the blond strands, now black at the roots. It wouldn’t be long before Kihyun surprised him with something new. Feeling mischievous, he washed his hands over Kihyun’s hair, making a mess.

Kihyun squawked and ducked away from him. “How dare?!”

Hyunwoo grinned. “Your face is red, your shoelace is untied, you can’t talk for shit. We as may as well make it look like you got in a scuffle or people are going to think you caught the flu with that voice.”

“I’ll just tell them the truth. The Captain choked me.”

Hyunwoo laughed, wiping the center down with napkins and throwing them into the trash. “Now, there’s a thought.”

“What would that be?” Kihyun asked, dropping to the floor and cleaning up his puddle with the extra napkins.

“Telling them the truth,” Hyunwoo said, pushing in chairs and making sure everything was in order.

Kihyun slowly rose to his feet, wet napkins in his hands. “Really?”

“Really. I want to. I love you. For some reason, god help you, you like me enough to stick around. There’s no point in playing it safe anymore.”

“I _love_ you enough to stick around,” Kihyun corrected. God, his throat hurt.

Hyunwoo smiled, holding the wastebasket out for him. 

Kihyun tossed them in, returning his smile. “Did you say it that way just to get me to say it?”

Hyunwoo shrugged, putting the basket away. “Still time for a very quick bite. You game?”

Kihyun nodded. “I’m starving.”

Hyunwoo chuckled, picking up the pitcher of water and turning to Kihyun. “It’s no wonder. You’ve lost lots and lots of fluid today. Leaking and dribbling all over the damn ship, peeing on yourself. Surprised you haven’t fainted at this point.”

Hyunwoo turned his head to side, considering. “Scratch that. You kind of did, didn’t you?”

“Watch yourself, Captain,” Kihyun said. “It takes two to tango, you might find yourself without a partner.” Kihyun brought a hand to his neck, wincing.

“Have we reached this point of the relationship already? Bartering for sex?”

“Not if you play your cards right. I’m precious. You can ride me hard till the cows come home, but I deserve to be wooed like the precious gem I am.”

Hyunwoo scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know where to go with that. On one hand, I’m charmed by the back country innuendo. On the other hand, I feel like I’ve created a monster.”

Kihyun smiled sweetly. “You made your bed, now lay in it.”

“Oh, I fully intend to.” Hyunwoo poured the pitcher over the table and hit his commbadge. “Son to Facilities. Someone made a mess in Meeting Hall A, we tried to clean it up, but ran out of napkins. Send someone by? There’s a meeting at 1330.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Hyunwoo grabbed his hand and walked out to the hall.

Kihyun grinned. “What did you do with my bedding, Captain?”

“Sent it to dry cleaning. They were pretty backed up. Looks like you’re stuck with me for a couple days.”

“You send sheets to be dry-cleaned? Is this some rich boy thing?”

Hyunwoo smiled proudly. “I wanted it done right. You’re precious, remember?”

Kihyun bit his lip. “Hyunwoo, if you want me to spend to the night, just ask.” He disengaged his hand from Hyunwoo’s out of habit as the turbolift opened.

Hyunwoo and Kihyun walked on. Lieutenant Shrier and Intern Marle nodded to them.

“Dr. Yoo, will you spend the night with me?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened to saucers as he flushed a brilliant magenta.

Lieutenant Shrier coughed violently, while Intern Marle barked a laugh then covered her mouth looking at the ground.

They both got off on the next floor despite one of them obviously having meant to go to one floor lower.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Kihyun said, getting off on Two.

Hyunwoo followed him, very pleased with himself. “You literally asked for it.”

“You can’t just go around scaring the crew like that,” Kihyun admonished.

Hyunwoo strolled at his side. “I don’t see why not. Their captain fucks. I think it makes me more personable.”

Kihyun opened his mouth, at a loss. 

“Furthermore, we’ve just provided the juiciest piece of gossip this ship has ever heard. If that’s not a morale boost, I don’t what is.”

Kihyun sized him up. “And here I thought you were proclaiming your love.”

“Nope,” Hyunwoo said approaching the cafeteria entrance and pulling Kihyun inside. “That’s here.”

Hyunwoo dipped his head, kissing Kihyun soundly.

It caught Kihyun by surprise and his eyes fell closed, leaning up into Hyunwoo’s embrace on autopilot.

Hyunwoo smoothed Kihyun’s hair back, kissing his slack lips a couple more times.

It was the quietness that startled Kihyun awake. One could hear a pin drop.

When Hyunwoo lifted his eyes from Kihyun to the room, the buzz of the cafeteria quickly returned. All eyes on the trays in front of them.

“That...was one way to do it,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo rose a brow, guiding them to the line. “You want something else? Want me on one knee, expounding your many virtues, your luminous skin? I can-” Hyunwoo made to get down.

Kihyun slapped his shoulder repeatedly, looking around wildly. “Don’t you dare!”

Hyunwoo laughed and handed him a tray, getting in line behind him. “You’re too easy.”

Kihyun glared up at him, while blindly piling salad onto his tray. “No. You’re too easy, _Captain ‘I lost count.’_ ”

“You’re really hung up on that, aren’t you?”

Kihyun huffed. “Hardly.”

“Your jealousy is something to behold, you know that?” Hyunwoo piled a bowl high with mashed potatoes.

Kihyun stayed silent, his boyfriend was increasingly annoying, but also one hundred percent correct. He selected a chicken breast then a walnut brownie and waited for Hyunwoo. “It’s just, how can you not remember them? It’s not a small thing, sex.”

Hyunwoo selected the largest chicken breast and eyed the steak like it was provoking him. “For me, it was. A little bit of fun. That’s all.” He finally speared the steak, having lost the stand off.

Covering the rest of his tray with broccoli and three brownies, he turned to Kihyun. “I can remember every time with you and it’s not because it happened recently, it’s because it’s you.”

Kihyun pursed his lips, not wanting to give Hyunwoo the satisfaction of a smile.

Hyunwoo walked towards Hoseok and Hyungwon, continuing.“I remember it all. Every breath you take, every move you make-”

“That’s a song, you jackass.”

“That’s Captain to you, we’re in public.”

Hyunwoo waited for Kihyun to sit across from Hoseok and took the seat next to him.

Kihyun pointed his knife at Hyungwon. “Not a word.” Fuck, he was still hoarse.

Hyungwon’s eyes widened, not in surprise, but in mischief. “Feeling okay there, Yoo? You sounded perfectly healthy a little while ago, but now you’re all scratchy. Did something go down wrong?”

Hyunwoo stuffed three broccoli florets into his mouth and looked away, praying they’d drop it. He didn’t want to pull rank at lunch. It was bad-form.

It took Hoseok a moment, but understanding dawned. He looked at Hyunwoo in awe. “Jesus, Hyunwoo, give the little dude a break. Twice in one day? It’s only lunchtime.”

Kihyun went straight for his brownie. When he swallowed, he dropped it on his plate. Hyunwoo’s cock ruined brownie day. He took a sip of water.

“Hey, this is off limits. That’s enough of that,” Hyunwoo said, pulling Kihyun’s tray to him and standing up. Finding the station he was looking for, he set off.

“You’re a real ass sometimes, Chae,” Kihyun rasped, wincing.

“You’re one to talk,” Hyungwon said, then grinned. “Oh. Wait. You can’t.”

Hoseok chuckled, then struggled his lips into a forced frown. “Stop teasing, Hyungwon. It’s sweet.”

Hyungwon looked at Hoseok like he lost his mind. “Sweet is not a word that comes to mind when I think of cock-choking.”

Hyunwoo returned with a smoothie and set it down in front of Kihyun. 

“Thank you,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo sent him a smile then leveled the other two with a stare. “Don’t make me say it again.”

They sat up straight instantly, focusing on the last of their food, and excused themselves in under two minutes.

Kihyun frowned. “Captain? What gives?”

“I’m sorry. They’re not used to this. Going to the Academy together, we had a rather laid back, callous attitude about one-night stands, girlfriends, et cetera. That kind of talk wasn’t off limits. Still, you’re their friend, they should know better. They know you well enough to know you’re more private. And, they sure as hell know this isn’t a one-night stand.”

“You scared our friends away.”

“Damn straight. You were uncomfortable.”

Kihyun sipped his papaya smoothie in peace. “You’re pretty cool, Captain.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

News of their relationship spread like wildfire. Theories were born right and left. There was even talk of money exchanging hands.

When night came around, he came to home to Kihyun, curled up on his couch reading from his tablet. They had a normal night in, watched a couple shows, chatted, got ready for bed, and slept hard. 

The following night ended much the same way, except instead of turning off the lights and sleeping, they kissed until it built to something more. Until Kihyun crawled over him and rutted against him, kissing Hyunwoo’s brain to goop. Later, when Hyunwoo was about to suggest removing pajamas, Kihyun slumped over him, a dead weight.

Hyunwoo sighed, his erection trapped under Kihyun, and decided to think of this as a lesson in patience. He lay there, hands on the flannel of Kihyun’s thighs at his sides and wondered if it was okay to fall asleep like this.

He’d much rather get off, especially with Kihyun’s hot body pressing into him, but if he was going to have to wait an hour, he may as well get a little sleep. As he cooled down, he closed his eyes. Feeling Kihyun breathe against him, he drifted off.

Hyunwoo wasn’t sure how long he was out before Kihyun stirred on top of him. A quick look at the clock told him it couldn’t have been more that twenty to thirty minutes.

Kihyun kissed his nose. “Sleep,” he said, crawling off him and hitting the switch to the lights.

Hyunwoo groaned sleepily. “No, I can do it.”

Kihyun smiled, getting back into bed and sidling up to Hyunwoo. “I know you can do it, babe. That’s not in question.”

Hyunwoo yawned despite himself.

“There’s always tomorrow,” Kihyun said, closing his eyes.

Except, there wasn’t. It happened again. And, again. And, again, until a whole lovely, but sexless week passed by. The ramifications were taking a toll, not on Hyunwoo, who could deal with cold showers, but on Kihyun.

“So, I was thinking of recreating our first dinner, minus Jooheon, mind you,” Hyunwoo said at breakfast later in the week.

Kihyun smiled, cutting a piece of spinach omelet with his fork. “That’s sweet.”

“How’s tonight, then?” Hyunwoo asked while watching Kihyun eat, who was increasingly disinterested as of late.

“Oh,” he said. “Tonight?” He looked down at his plate and absently stuck the prongs of his fork into the cold omelet. “I was going to go to the movies with Minhyuk.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ve been hoarding you, huh?” Hyunwoo said, frowning when Kihyun placed the fork on his napkin, signifying he was done. “I didn’t think you were into that kind of movie.”

Kihyun looked up at him. “I’m not,” he admitted. “But, I haven’t seen him much and I think he could use some time away from this wormhole brain space he’s been living in.”

“That’s a good idea,” Hyunwoo said, spearing a couple home fries. “Will I see you after?”

“I’m not sure. If we get to talking late into the night, I might just crash at mine.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Okay.”

This withdraw from Kihyun was making Hyunwoo anxious. It was little things over the last several days: working late, working out late at night, working out too much, staying behind to help the late shift, taking up video games with Jooheon late at night. Kihyun didn’t play video games; they hurt his eyes and made him dizzy. Kihyun was avoiding him.

Hyunwoo knew what it was stemming from. What he didn’t know was how to keep it from bothering Kihyun. It probably didn’t help matters that Kihyun walked into Hyunwoo jerking off in the shower this morning. It’s not like Hyunwoo was angry at the lack of fornicating, but when you wake up with morning wood, an attractive man glued to you, but you don’t want to send him into a coma again, what are you supposed to do? Hyunwoo was hesitant to simply kiss him. Yesterday evening, it happened watching a show. _Watching a show_ at Hyunwoo’s side was enough to trigger it.

Hyunwoo already informed him it wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t mind. He only wanted Kihyun to be safe and healthy. If they only got around to sex once and a while, then that was okay. However, Hyunwoo knew Kihyun didn’t take his words to heart. It may not be a big deal to Hyunwoo, but it was clearly a big deal to Kihyun. 

Reluctantly, Hyunwoo could admit, were the tables turned, it would bother him, too. If he couldn’t make Kihyun feel good, if he just turned off in the middle of things getting good, it would make him feel like a failure. It chafed to think those thoughts and insecurities might be plaguing Kihyun.

Hyunwoo finished chewing, washing it down with some water. “We’ll do it another night. Maybe Friday or Sunday.”

“That’d be nice,” Kihyun commented, pressing his finger along the ribbed design of the napkin.

Hyunwoo’s heart fell seeing Kihyun so disconnected. He reached a hand out and took Kihyun’s in his own. “Do you want to know what I thought when you came over for dinner that first time?”

That sparked a little life into Kihyun and the corners of his mouth turned up. “That man could use some aloe vera?”

Hyunwoo smiled. “That I loved seeing you in my home.”

“I felt like an idiot,” Kihyun said.

Hyunwoo chuckled. “What for?”

“For getting dressed up, just for you to open the door in jeans and a tee-shirt. Barefoot.”

This conversation had a little color returning to Kihyun’s face. Hyunwoo breathed a sigh of relief.

“You know, it’s strange,” Kihyun continued, crossing his arms on the table and engaging Hyunwoo directly. “In all my fantasies, I don’t think I ever imagined your feet before. Like I didn’t quite comprehend it was something Captains’ owned.”

“Lots of people do that. Don’t consider us viable, living people who exist outside of the Capitan’s chair.”

“That wasn’t a problem for me; I knew you were a man with his own life. You had friends, hobbies, girlfriends. I just never considered your feet before. You having feet.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “What did it look like then? When I was bending you over a desk or pressing you into the mattress? Were they ghost feet? They just vanished? Or, did my legs end in bloody knobs?”

Kihyun laughed, eyes crinkling and drawing attention from the surrounding tables. “I have no idea. I can’t conjure it up anymore.”

“Well, if I ever lose my feet, at least I’ll know you’ll still find me hot.”

“Don’t do that. You have very nice feet.” Kihyun narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make it dirty Captain, just take the compliment.”

“Thank you.”

“I need to get going.” Kihyun withdrew his hand and looked at Hyunwoo’s tray with a frown. “Are you finished?” There was still half a tray left.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo said, standing up. Kihyun’s lack of appetite directly affected his own. Kihyun ate maybe four bites of egg whites. He would have said something, but knew Kihyun didn’t appreciate his diet being questioned. Additionally, he didn’t want the reason behind it to surface right before Kihyun headed to work and subsequently ruin his day.

They returned the trays to the belt and left for the turbolift. “What’s Dr. Yoo up to today?” Hyunwoo asked at his side.

“Presentations from each research team lead until lunch. Then, a few well-checks, followed by my own research. All in all, a pretty manageable day.”

“Tell me about your project again.”

Kihyun eyed him warily. He told Hyunwoo about it just last night. “I’m documenting heart rate and brain activity to various stressors. After I’ve achieved a decent baseline, I’ll form several treatment groups, a control group and an empty control group. I’m testing the impact idracib vessli, buspirone, azaspriodecanedione, and my own concoction fusing idracib vessli with hitrate venom will have on psychosomatic and somatic symptoms induced by stress. The long-term goal is to find a quick, more natural approach to anxiety-provoking situations, in particular, social anxiety. One that doesn’t need to be taken habitually, only situationally. But, this is just the first of many steps.”

Kihyun peered up at Hyunwoo. “You look a little deranged, Captain.”

Hyunwoo’s smile grew wider. “I can’t help it. You’re so hot when you talk like that.”

“Pshaw,” Kihyun muttered as they got on the lift.

“My boyfriend is so damn smart.”

A few cadets from Helm eyed them, amused.

Kihyun smacked him in the belly, blushing. “Utshay upyay, Aptaincay.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “Dr. Yoo, you don’t think Helms knows how to decipher pig latin?”

“Deck Three,” Kihyun bit out, turning to the front.

Kihyun quickly exited at his floor.

“Ebyay, ittenkay,” Hyunwoo called out as the door closed.

Kihyun did not imagine the laughter from Helms as the doors closed.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

That night, Kihyun ended up sneaking into the captain’s cabin, quietly going through his routine in the bathroom and slipping under the covers.

“Did you have fun?” Hyunwoo asked, eyes closed.

It startled Kihyun for a second. “Yes.”

“That’s good,” Hyunwoo murmured, pulling Kihyun up to him and settling in once again.

Kihyun looked up at his darkened face for a moment before laying his head down and resting a hand on his ribs. Was it possible to have a good and bad week simultaneously? That’s what this felt like. Peaceful and uplifted by the confirmation of their feelings. Yet, spoiled from his inability to show it. He couldn’t deliver and Hyunwoo was beyond understanding, but that made it worse.

Stopping before they get even get started. Stopping while just getting started. Stopping while things had most definitely started. Not two nights ago, Hyunwoo was in his mouth when his stupid body shut it down. It wasn’t fair to either of them, but it was _his_ doing. Each time, he lay there after Hyunwoo positioned him comfortably and talked to him. Meanwhile, Hyunwoo’s hard as a rock cock pressed at his hip or thigh, reminding him of what a failure he was, how he kept ruining everything.

“Hyunwoo?” Kihyun ventured quietly.

“Mm?”

“Do you want to try again?” Kihyun craned his neck up to watch Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo peered down at him with one eye. “Right now?”

“If you want,” Kihyun answered. 

Hyunwoo licked his lips and settled on top of him, kissing him briefly on the lips then traveling down to his jaw and neck.

 _Oh_ , that felt good. Kihyun held onto his shoulders, already feeling this heating his body, teasing his cock awake. He scritched fingers into Hyunwoo’s hair as sucks and nibbles tickled and teased behind his ear.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun breathed.

“Yes?” Hyunwoo asked, coming back up to kiss him.

“Don’t stop,” Kihyun said when Hyunwoo released his lips and began kissing down his sternum. “No matter what happens, don’t stop.”

Hyunwoo lifted his head up immediately. “No.” He flipped off him and sat up.

Shit. Kihyun sat up, too, turning to him. “I’m okay with it. I trust you. You’ll make it good for both of us.”

“I’m not okay with it,” Hyunwoo answered.

Kihyun swallowed. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

Hyunwoo closed his eyes and sighed. “Don’t apologize. It’s a perfectly reasonable request. I’m just not comfortable with it.”

Hyunwoo pressed his lips together, lifting a hand to dig fingers into the corners of his eyes. He dropped it and looked back to Kihyun. “Your previous lovers might have been fine with it, and if you were cool with it, that’s fine. But...even though you’re still ‘there,’ still with me, it doesn’t feel that way. You may argue it, and I can see your point to an extent, but when you’re like that, _for me_ , what makes you _you_ is gone.”

“It’s okay. Honestly. Forget I asked.” Kihyun took hold of his hand laid back down.

“What are you doing?” Hyunwoo asked.

Kihyun opened his eyes, confused. “Going to sleep.”

“That’s it?”

Maybe it was too late for Kihyun’s brain to function properly. “What’s it?”

“We’re stopping?” Hyunwoo checked.

“We’re not?” Kihyun wondered aloud and sat back up. “I thought we...”

“Disagreed on something? Kihyun, we disagree on a million things, it doesn’t stop us from having some fun. Did you think we were fighting just now?”

“Well, I...I guess not. You want to try again?” Kihyun asked, still unsure.

“That is what we were just doing, wasn’t it?” Hyunwoo grinned. “Who knows? Maybe the eighth time’s the charm.”

When Kihyun didn’t return his smile, Hyunwoo placed a hand on Kihyun’s chest and coaxed him back down onto the bed. He threw a leg over him and came in close.

“You’re sensitive about this. I get it, but I wish you would let it melt away. If it happens again, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. The sun will still rise in the morning.”

Kihyun got lost in his eyes, almost black in the darkened bedroom, but relaxed behind the sincerity of his words. “Here’s to the eight time,” Kihyun whispered, tilting his head to capture Hyunwoo’s lips.

Hyunwoo made quick work of Kihyun’s boy shorts as he kissed him into the pillow and threw the covers off them. Reaching past Kihyun to the nightstand, he pulled out the lube, uncapping it in his hand and applying it to his fingers. Pulling his lips away for a second he lifted off Kihyun just a bit. “Spread.”

Hyunwoo was already sucking at his lips again before he spread his legs for Hyunwoo to ease down between.

Kihyun hummed at the slick digits probing his hole, raising his legs until his feet sat on the mattress. One entered quick enough, followed by another.

Tearing his head away to the side, Kihyun moaned. “Hyunwoo.” Kihyun moved his hands over Hyunwoo’s shoulders down his back, fingers digging into the flesh at the middle.

Hyunwoo dropped his forehead to Kihyun’s chest, rubbing his face into him and kissing him through the shirt. “You make the sexiest sounds.” He added another finger and shuddered along with Kihyun when he gasped his pleasure.

“You feel so good.” Hyunwoo removed one to really fuck them into him. “You’re so good,” he trailed off, removing them completely to circle his rim. 

“You taste so good.” Hyunwoo lowered down Kihyun’s body and took his leaking member into his mouth, bobbing on the velvety soft hardness, coating his tongue with honey. He popped off and licked his balls. “So fucking good.”

“Stop! Stop, I’m gonna cum.” Kihyun cried and rolled his hips into Hyunwoo’s face. 

“That’s the idea,” Hyunwoo said, lips against the underside of his cock and fingers circling his rim in the other direction. “You need it.”

Holy Moses. He really did. After so many false starts this week, he needed to cum so badly.

Hyunwoo’s lips kept his cock in place at his belly as his tongue flicked at the sensitive underside. He used an arm on Kihyun’s thigh to keep him still and inserted both fingers again, rooting around for his spot, and when he found it, Kihyun moaned shrilly. 

“Almost,” Kihyun heaved, head thrown to the side, crying pitifully.

Hyunwoo captured his head in his lips and sucked down to the hilt, fingers still massaging his spot. 

As he drew closer, not even Hyunwoo could keep him in place and Kihyun’s thighs clamped around Hyunwoo’s head like a vice as he jerked uncontrollably into Hyunwoo’s mouth.

Hyunwoo took it easily, bringing Kihyun closer rub by rub. 

“Hyun!” Kihyun split apart on a cry, releasing onto Hyunwoo’s tongue, which continued to suck on his throbbing member. Kihyun’s fingers incrementally loosened in Hyunwoo’s hair and smoothed down to his nape.

“Whew. Wow,” he said to the ceiling. Sweat dampened the sheets under him and wet the tips of his fingers at Hyunwoo’s nape. Finally. This was finally going to happen.

A moment later Hyunwoo moved off his cock in one slow, sucking glide and kissed his heaving belly. His fingers stayed buried inside.

“Feel better?” Hyunwoo teased, nipping at Kihyun’s belly button.

The belly under his lips shuddered in what could have been a laugh, but Kihyun was breathing too heavily to be certain. He turned his head to kiss the tips of Kihyun’s fingers at his neck.

Eventually, Hyunwoo sat up between his knees and extricated his fingers. Kihyun’s sleepy blue eyes watched him, licking his lips in wait. His torso still heaved in recovery. Or, possibly anticipation, Hyunwoo wasn’t sure.

He stroked his cock while watching that glorious body heave and stretch with impatience. 

“Hyunwoo, make love to me,” Kihyun said looking up at him, taking hold of one his hands and locking their fingers together.

Hyunwoo’s heart stopped. Kihyun may as well have told time the meaning of life. Perhaps he had. That simple sentence speared him through and through. 

As his heart raged back, he dived down and kissed Kihyun like a man dying. He let go of his straining cock and buried his hand in Kihyun’s hair. “I love you,” he said. He kissed it into his lips, into his ears, into his neck, into the inside of his bicep, which held him close. He kept kissing him until that bicep loosened and the fingers locked with his own went slack.

Hyunwoo closed his eyes, unwilling to let Kihyun witness the disappointment that was reflected in them. Steeling himself, he opened them when he felt in control.

Soundly kissing his lips once, he pulled off. “It’s okay. Just go to sleep.” He kissed his temple. “The sun will rise again.”

Lifting a hand to the top of Kihyun’s face, he ran his fingers over the heated skin, closing blue eyes to the bedroom and, more importantly, to Hyunwoo. 

Fuck. He returned the lube to the drawer and pulled out the wet wipes that had taken up residence in there. Pulling a sheet out and warming it in his hand, he turned back to Kihyun. 

“Cleaning you real quick,” Hyunwoo warned before swiping the cloth across his groin, down his balls and between his cheeks. After, he pulled Kihyun to the center of the bed where it was cool and dry, not hot and damp from sweat. He pulled the covers up to Kihyun’s chin.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Go to sleep.”

Hyunwoo closed the bathroom door behind him and went to the sink. He intended to wash his hands, splash some water on his face and return to Kihyun, who was likely more miserable than he felt right now, but he didn’t. He wrapped a hand around his cock and tugged himself to completion.

He was angry.

It wasn’t Kihyun’s fault. However, it didn’t change the fact this sucked. The lack of answers was frustrating in and of itself. At Hyunwoo’s worried behest, Kihyun wore an electrode behind his ear for two days to monitor brain activity. Besides normal brain function, all that Kihyun and Dr. Miyeon noted was a slight spike of neural activity at the base of his temporal lobe, which lasted approximately half a second at the onset of the episode.

He was a Captain. He fixed problems. Found solutions. He had no idea how to fix this. Had no idea how to keep Kihyun from stressing about this. Didn’t know how to keep himself from stressing about this. With all his being, he dearly prayed this was a phase. Affection of any kind was a gamble. He stressed about kissing him. Worried taking his hand would trigger something. Feared Kihyun would come to resent him, resent himself, resent this relationship.

Washing his hands and face, he shook himself. He needed to be out there with Kihyun, not in here feeling sorry for the both of them. 

He flicked off the bathroom lights and joined Kihyun under the covers. Unaware if he was sleeping or not, he whispered good night, draped an arm over his stomach and slept.

He dreamed of a young, blurry Kihyun walking around with a blade of wheat in his mouth, and throwing a can of spray paint into the bushes as he hightailed it out of sight and into the woods. Then, he dreamed of Kihyun swinging into a slightly murky lake with lily pads and fronds, the water settling as nobody surfaced and Hyunwoo shot up in bed, scared out of his mind.

Calming his heart, he saw Kihyun was gone, and he got of bed. At the top of the stairs he could see the lights were out, but he descended, and when he rounded the corner of the island, he saw him.

Sitting on the floor against a cabinet, arms around his legs and face tucked down to his knees, Kihyun was crying. Again. There was an empty mug at his side. He’d stolen Hyunwoo’s favorite sweats and sweatshirt again.

Regardless of whether Kihyun wanted him there or not, he sat down on the floor facing him, back pressed into the opposite cabinet below the sink. He stretched his legs out as far as they could go, but his feet met the cabinet on the other side before he could flatten them.

He knew Kihyun was aware of his presence, could see his shoulders stiffen when he first rounded the corner, but Hyunwoo chose not say anything. They’d already hashed this out before. All he felt he could do was let Kihyun know he wasn’t alone in this.

It took a while, but Kihyun turned his head to the side on his knees, looking out at the dining table. “I came down for tea.”

“Hm. I see. Did you forget where it was?” Hyunwoo asked, still not able to see his face.

Kihyun huffed.

Hyunwoo grinned hearing the smile in that.

Kihyun pulled his head up and rested it on the cabinet, dropping his legs lazily and plopping his hands on them. He looked at Hyunwoo for a solid minute.

Hyunwoo could see the sleeplessness in those eyes even in the dark.

Kihyun sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, generally, you boil water to start-”

“Hyunwoo.” Kihyun stopped him.

“I know.”

Kihyun’s finger scratched at the thick cotton on his thigh. “Maybe we should...pull apart for a while.”

“No,” Hyunwoo said.

“This is exhausting and I’m stressed all the time and, on the whole, I just feel like a piece of shit.”

“Please don’t say that. It makes me feel worse.”

“All the more reason to cool our jets maybe.”

“No,” Hyunwoo reiterated. “Look. If this suggestion was coming from an honest desire to end this relationship, I wouldn’t argue. Well, I would, but I would let you walk away. This though? No. What good is that going to do for either of us?”

Kihyun put his hands in the pockets and looked down. “You wouldn’t have to babysit a corpse.”

“Stop that.”

Kihyun looked back up at him and shrugged. “You could jerk off to your heart’s content without feeling guilty or having to hide.”

“For your information, I’ve been jerking off since we’ve gotten together. I’m quite close with him, not even you can get in the way of that.”

Kihyun laughed, then groaned. This wasn’t a laughing matter. “Hyunwoo, this isn’t what relationships are supposed to be like.”

“Says who? Is there manual I don’t know about? This is whatever we decide it is. Maybe we’re a little different from other couples on the ship, but we already were to start. I’m a Captain. You’re my Chief Medical Officer. It was already complicated. Ki, if this is our normal from here on out, I am at peace with it. What will it take for you to believe me?”

“I do believe you; I just don’t want this for you. Or for me. You avoided my kiss this morning.”

Hyunwoo’s brows lowered. _He had._ “I didn’t want you to be late. I wanted you to have time for a proper breakfast with me. That’s all.”

“You see, this is what I’m talking about. This, us, it’s become warped.”

“Okay, this pity party is over,” Hyunwoo said, becoming tired. “Stop feeling sorry for me, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop looking for a reason to mess this up. Rain or shine, you are stuck with me. So, you’ll give me blue balls now and then, and I’ll shut myself in bathroom rubbing one out thinking about you. News flash, I’ve been doing that for years; I quite enjoy it.”

That didn’t bring a smile to Kihyun’s face like he thought it would. Hyunwoo let him wallow for a moment.

“Do you really want space? Is that what you want?”

“No,” Kihyun said.

“Then, case closed and on to the question that really matters. What kind of tea would you like?” Hyunwoo picked up the mug and got to his feet, turning on the electric kettle.

“Barley.” Kihyun pulled himself up, pressing his side into Hyunwoo as they waited for the water to heat.

“Did you get any sleep, yet?” Hyunwoo asked.

The question triggered a yawn from Kihyun. “No.”

“How long this time?”

“Two hours.”

Hyunwoo nodded. The longest one yet. “Is it peaceful in there?”

“I suppose. Not much to do but think. It’s a little hard at first, kind of like being suspended, control comes relatively quick though, then I just wait it out.”

“Mm,” Hyunwoo murmured. He tore the package from the tea bag and placed the sachet in the mug. “Will this keep you up?”

Kihyun smiled. “No. It’s comforting. You don’t know much about tea, do you?”

“I know I opened the cupboard the other day, and it was full of it.”

“Should I have asked?”

“No. I want you be comfortable here.”

“I am.”

Hyunwoo poured the water over the sachet. He turned the handle out to Kihyun.

“Hyunwoo,” Kihyun said, pulling the mug to him on the counter. The steam rose and kissed his skin. He’d been struggling with this all week, side by side with this sleeping beauty syndrome. “You’re a good man. You know that, right?”

Hyunwoo’s lungs froze. “I try to do best by this ship, this crew.”

Kihyun swallowed, nodding down at his tea. Hyunwoo was wounded in a way Kihyun didn’t know how to treat. When Hyunwoo talked to him on the couch a week ago, it wasn’t the confession that made Kihyun sob; it was that Hyunwoo truly believed he was tarnished and unworthy. He didn’t know the cause of it, was almost scared to know if it made Hyunwoo feel this way about himself.

Kihyun took hold of the tea. “Should we get back upstairs?” he asked, not wanting to take it any further than that tonight. 

“Don’t you want to drink that?”

“I was going to savor it while I watched you sleep.”

Hyunwoo arched a brow.

“Kidding. I’m going to read, savor _and_ watch you sleep.”

“It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” Hyunwoo said, passing a hand over Kihyun’s hair and heading for the stairs.

“Whatever. You adore my obsessive nature.” Kihyun moved past him, cutting in front of him at the base of the stairs. “My jealousy, my need to look good for you, my insistence of more time with you. Honestly Captain, it takes a lot of hard work to feed your massive ego.”

Hyunwoo grinned. “You do feed me well.”

Kihyun smiled. “As long as you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah...this was supposed to be the chapter where the story turned, but more and more words kept happening. I feel like this chapter is a little stagnant, but it is what it is. Also feel like I was a little lazy with this one, so I'm a wee bit ashamed. May go back and proof it in a couple days, give my eyes a rest.
> 
> I'm freaking out about the next chapter because it involves a certain amount of action and forethought, and that terrifies me. The logistics of it are too big for my little brain. However, the next chapter _will_ be the one where the story takes the big turn.


	18. Riptide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's give it up for the Conservative Brothers. Don't worry, they are strictly platonic in this story.

Flashback.

“Who’s next?” Hyunwoo sighed after the most recent applicant left the conference room.

Hoseok picked up the next file, reading the notes aloud. “Dr. Yoo Kihyun. First in his class, set a record for approved research grants, all-around ace of the Medical Corps Department,” Lee Hoseok said, setting the previous applicant’s file in the growing ‘no’s’ behind them.

Hyunwoo straightened the files before him, perusing over their top contenders for Chief Medical Officer so far. He scrunched his brows. “Why didn’t we see him earlier? Does he have his sights set on another posting?”

Changkyun shook his head, finishing notes on the doctor that just left. “He’s a busy graduate: still the TA for a few professors, still attending at Starfleet Academy Hospital,” Changkyun said, dropping his pen and looking up at Hyunwoo. “He is, however, my pick.”

Hyunwoo’s brow rose, holding out a hand to Hoseok for Yoo’s file. “We haven’t interviewed him yet.”

“We’ve presented at the same conferences in the past. If you’re wanting the Newton to make a name for itself, he’s the one. Furthermore, he’s a strategic choice. As Dr. Lee Minhyuk’s best friend, our chances of getting Lee to sign if we have hold of his buddy increase greatly. Those two are attached at the hip.”

Hyunwoo nodded. Dr. Lee Minhyuk interviewed for the Chief Science Officer last week, but appeared almost careless during the meeting. They wanted him, however it felt as though that particular interview was one of hundreds to the scientist. Hyunwoo understood the man was a hot commodity in the field, would love to be able to sign him, but he honestly couldn’t give him some of the things other, more esteemed ships and bases could.

Hyunwoo perused the bullet points on the front of the file. Impressive. “Personality?”

“Studious. Ambitious. I haven’t talked to him enough to get a better read on him. I have heard people call him a bit of a shark, but his champions will say he’s just passionate. I’ve recorded my calls with his references if you’re interested. Quite a few interesting stories in there. Performs well under pressure.”

Hyunwoo nodded absently. God, he was tired. Tired of endless interviews. Some came because they assumed the Newton would have low expectations being a new ship made of fresh graduates. Others came for more honorable reasons, but without the specs to back it up.

If anything, the Newton’s expectations were higher precisely because it had so much to prove. They didn’t have experience behind them, they could only rely on character, grit, smarts, and determination. Most of the applicants coming in here had one of those attributes, but not the others.

Hyunwoo opened the file to the meat of the information and stopped short at the picture. Attractive. He squinted his eyes. There was something peculiar about the man staring ahead. Was this photoshopped? Reading down the general stats, his date of birth, place of birth, species...Ah. 

He looked back at Changkyun with a disbelieving brow. “One-fourth Bemonian? I didn’t realize that was a thing.”

“Really?” Hoseok asked, interested. He leaned closer to take a look. “Oh. He’s cute. He’s my pick, too.”

Changkyun lowered his tea to the table. “It’s not. He’s the only one, outside his deceased mother, at least the only documented one. I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere.” He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, smiling. “Now, I’m not saying this because he’s my pick, his CV speaks for itself, but there could be diplomatic advantages to having him onboard, especially considering the Federation hasn’t been able to convince Bebemon to join.”

Hyunwoo returned to the file, reading through his history. He’s a fighter: dead parents, orphanage, scholarships. There’s character, smarts, grit, and determination right there.

“Okay.” Hyunwoo hit the buzzer on the panel before him. “Send him in.”

End Flashback.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunwoo smiled absently. It was strange to think Kihyun entered his life only four years ago.

For some reason, he had a difficult time concentrating this morning. His thoughts constantly returning to Kihyun. He was supposed to be consolidating this month’s logs into a report for Starfleet. The blinking cursor in the document before him not nearly as far along as it should be.

He huffed, grinning. _For some reason?_ He damn well knew the reason. It had to do with a mischievous, but sleep-deprived boyfriend joining him in the shower this morning, taking the soap from his hands and washing him in tender reverence. He could still feel those soft lips on his skin through the sluice of the water. Kihyun always looked radiant, but they way his skin grew rosy when hot or impassioned never failed to take his breath away, like a sun wrapped in pink rose petals.

Hyunwoo licked his lips. Unfortunately, their morning interlude fell through after Hyunwoo returned the favor, attempting to initiate a deeper awakening, only for Kihyun to drop into stasis yet again. He had thought of a way to possibly bypass this dilemma, but that would need to wait for tonight, after this evening’s basketball game. It may not be as satisfying as they were used to, but it should ensure completion at any rate.

A shake trembled through the ship accompanied by a whirring whine.

He pushed away from his desk and walked out to the bridge. “Report.”

“Sensors are fluctuating, but our warp core shut down,” Hyungwon answered, fingers flying over the screen. “I don’t see any system damage.”

“We weren’t in warp. We’re in orbit.” Hyunwoo hit his badge. “Son to Engineering. What’s going on down there?”

“That’s an excellent question, Captain,” Jooheon readily replied.

“Chief Lee,” Hyunwoo demanded.

“Working on it, Sir,” Jooheon answered.

Hyunwoo turned to Hoseok. “Mr. Lee, go take a look.”

“Yes, Captain.” Hoseok motioned to an Ensign Harden. They left for the turbolift.

Hyunwoo came up behind Hyungwon, reading the sensors for himself.

“Scan for any anomalies in the area.”

“Yes, Sir,” Hyungwon answered, following through. “Nothing.”

“On screen. 360.”

“On screen,” Hyungwon acknowledged.

Space was clear. Kihyun’s pink sherbert moons loomed in the distance. “Lieutenant, take us out orbit without making it look like we’re doing so.”

Hyungwon switched to thrusters, steering them out ever so slightly. “Tracing orbit, Captain.”

Still nothing. There was absolutely zero reason for an internal malfunction. This ship was in better shape than Hoseok. Jooheon saw to it.

“Go back to before the core shut down. Did sensor arrays pick anything up?”

“Nothing, Captain,” Ensign Triste called from his station.

“And scans of B8246 when we arrived last night were clear,” Hyunwoo stated.

“That’s right, Sir,” Hyungwon confirmed.

“Engineering is hailing,” Elon said.

“On screen.”

Jooheon looked harried. “Captain. Magnetic fields for antimatter containment have been depolarized. Systems automatically shut down to facilitate containment.”

Hyunwoo crossed his arms. “How long till you can stabilize a new magnetic field?”

Jooheon ran a hand through his hair. “That’s the thing, Sir. I’ve done it twice now. Same thing. Immediate depolarization.”

“What’s your plan of action?”

“Dissemble and reassemble.”

“All of it?” Hyunwoo asked.

“With your permission, of course. But, I’ll need-”

“-us to land,” Hyunwoo finished for him.

“Well, not need, but it would make this faster.”

“Alright. Mr. Chae, take us down. Go to Blue Alert.”

“Aye, Sir.”  
—————————————————————————————————  
“So, why are we on the surface?” Kihyun squatted down and asked Hyungwon under the silver maple.

Hyungwon groaned, putting a hand to his forehead like Kihyun caused him physical pain. “I _just_ told you.”

“No,” Kihyun refuted. “You told me the antimatter containment fields were on the fritz, not why we’re on the surface.”

“Oh, my god.” Hyungwon’s jaw clenched. “ _Because._ Assembling up there would drain this ship. Down here we can reserve energy.”

“Was that so hard?” Kihyun asked.

Hyungwon glared.

Kihyun stood up, dusting his bum off, giving him a judgmental once over. “You don’t look so good, Chae. You ought to get some sleep.”

“Christ, Yoo. What do you think I’m trying to do?!” Hyungwon snapped.

Kihyun startled. That wasn’t Hyungwon’s usual annoyed tone. “ _Okay_ ,” he backpedaled. “Sorry. If you’re not feeling well, you know where I am.”

Kihyun watched Hyungwon’s fingers press into his eyes, breathing for patience. It set his teeth on edge.

“I know,” Hyungwon all but seethed.

Kihyun started down the path, looking over his shoulder a couple times. That man was _not_ relaxed that’s for sure. Hyungwon and him weren’t exactly chummy, per se, but Hyungwon was literally spitting anger at him. For what, pestering him with a few questions? He looked about ready to lunge.

Kihyun tried not to take it to heart. The poor guy screamed sleep-deprived. It was probably catching up to him, exactly like he told him it would. Kihyun would have turned around to tell him so if he didn't think he’d lose a limb in the process.

 

His lip curled up in disgruntlement. Why did Hyungwon always take it out on him? He could have gone to Jooheon with his questions, but he preferred Hyungwon in this area. He didn’t complicate it, just stated it as it was in terms Kihyun could understand.

Well, if Hyungwon disliked his presence that much, he’d never bother him again. He threw a glare over his shoulder and upon seeing him curled over on the ground, ran back.

“Hyungwon?” Kihyun crouched down next to him, turning him onto his back.

Hyungwon’s hands clutched his head in silent agony. “Shit.”

It was lunchtime. Kihyun had no equipment on him. He tapped his badge. “Yoo to sickbay. I need transport from the arboretum.”

Kihyun placed his fingers at the pressure points between Hyungwon’s eyes and pressed into the hegu area between his thumb and index finger. “You’ll be fine.”

The wrinkles in Hyungwon’s forehead smoothed briefly before he passed out.

A migraine. After careful diagnostics, that’s what Kihyun determined. He considered a thunderclap headache initially, but his brain and body were perfectly healthy. At the moment, Hyungwon lay on a biobed in Exam Room Two, lights out and under a blanket after Kihyun administered a pain reliever, inhibitor and sedative cocktail intravenously.

Kihyun was in his office, comparing the pilot’s scans and bloodwork from each yearly physical and from a half hour ago. He exited the tabs and sat back.

Sometimes a headache is just a headache. At any rate, Hyungwon was officially off duty for the rest of the day. Serves him right, snapping at him like that. They teased and annoyed one another; they never _meant_ it.

 

He huffed out a breath and slouched back into the chair. This shouldn’t be bothering him so much. Perhaps he was a wee bit oversensitive as of late. Not being able to pleasure your own boyfriend left him upset most of the time. Then he was driven to mask how upset he was to not upset Hyunwoo. It was a whole unpleasant cycle.

Looking out the window, sickbay was virtually empty. Most were at lunch. Feeling peckish himself, he got up and shouldered off his lab coat, draping it over the back of the chair. As he was powering down the lights and holoscreen, he noticed Hyungwon exiting Exam Room Two, furtively looking around as he walked out of sickbay.

Kihyun narrowed his eyes. Where did he think he was going? Hyungwon may be used to the bridge and Captain Son, but this was _his_ bridge and Kihyun was in charge. You don’t just walk out of sickbay without his say so. He followed, gearing up to give him an earful when Kihyun’s steps suddenly slowed, allowing distance to grow.

Hyungwon just passed the turbolift. Kihyun had an uneasy suspicion he was seeing something he wasn’t supposed to. Luckily, unlike sickbay, the halls were busy or he would have been called out on the spot. Stealth wasn’t exactly his forte.  
Moving down another corridor, Kihyun pulled back more. Fewer people walked down this way. However, when Hyungwon suddenly stopped at an emergency lift, Kihyun closed the distance faster than he thought his legs could take him, determined to give the pilot a proper set down for fleeing sickbay.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kihyun said, coming right up next to him.

Earthlings back home could see Hyungwon’s resulting eye roll. _Rude._

“Going to lunch,” Hyungwon said, flashing a badge and unlocking the turbolift.

“Using the emergency lift?” Kihyun questioned with a raised brow.

“If you failed to get the memo earlier, I don’t want to be around anyone. Go away.” Hyungwon entered the lift and hit a button.

Kihyun followed him on. “I happen to be going to lunch myself.”

Hyungwon shot a hand out between the closing doors.“Yoo, get off.”

“What for? We’re going to the same place.” Kihyun said, though a look at the panel told him they were going to Deck 1. He looked ahead, resolute. They were _not_ going to the cafeteria.

Hyungwon’s hand blocked the closing doors for a beat longer, before he lifted it in a ‘you win’ gesture. The doors closed.

“You should have gotten off,” Hyungwon stated.

Kihyun turned to him, unsettled by the delivery of that sentence, Hyungwon’s tone disturbingly resigned. Seeing him made it worse. Like Hyungwon wasn’t seeing Kihyun, but an object to be dealt with.

‘Kihyun was such a fucking pain in the ass,’ Hyungwon fumed. As if he didn’t have enough to deal with at the moment, now he had to assault Strarfleet personnel, a doctor for fuck’s sake. His hands shot out to toward Kihyun, intending to leave him incapacitated and locked in the lift, but stopped shy at Kihyun’s flinch.

 _Shit!_ He couldn’t do it, not with him looking like that. The man didn’t even put his hands up to defend himself.

 _Fine._ Plans can change. You only need to adapt alongside them. Hyunwoo taught him that.

He unholstered his phaser and centered it on Kihyun.

Kihyun’s mouth dropped. “Are you kidding me? You’re not going to shoot me.”

“You’re coming with me. Let’s be clear, I don’t want you here, but you left me with no choice. I can’t have you running back to Captain and stopping me.”

“Stopping you from what?”

“Something I have to do.” The doors opened. Hyungwon put the phaser away momentarily. “Walk at my side. Be normal.”

There was no one in the hall, but Security always had a feed running.They walked into Transport Four.

“Get up on the platform,” Hyungwon commanded, going to the controls and setting coordinates.

“Chae, you’re not well. Let’s go back to sickbay. Nobody has to know.” He meant that.

Hyungwon didn’t pay him any mind.

“Do you even know what you’re doing? You’re leaving the ship unauthorized; you can be court martialed for this.”

Kihyun took a step off the platform and got hit with the phaser at his hip. “Ow!” He jumped back up, pressing hands over the sting. He never even saw Hyungwon’s hands move.

“Fuck! Hyungwon!” Kihyun shouted. It was the lowest setting, but still. It smarted something awful. “Have you completely lost it?!”

Hyungwon joined him on the platform and grabbed his wrist. “You should have left it alone. Energize.”

They re-materialized in a wooded, mountainous terrain, thick with underbrush and dwarfed by towering pines, spruces and cottonwoods. Hyungwon took out his tricorder. “This way.”

“You shot me,” Kihyun said in disbelief. His felt the burn of tears behind his eyes because...shit, that hurt his feelings.

Hyungwon looked at him and sighed. “ _Please_. It’s a damn bee sting,” he said, letting go of Kihyun’s wrist, heading lower into the sloping woods.

“Yeah,” Kihyun emphasized, following. “It hurts.” He had no idea what was happening right now except that Hyungwon was having some kind of break with reality. Was this possibly an adverse reaction to the medication?

Hyungwon moved forward through the underbrush with intent. Slippery leaves covered the ground from a recent rain and Kihyun fell on his ass trying to catch up.

“Is this-” Kihyun kicked a twig off his boot “-one of your Hardy Boy missions I’m not supposed to know about?”

Hyungwon didn’t turn around. The less time this took, the better. “Definitely not. Captain will have my head for this.” Hyungwon stopped at a jutting rock edge. He read the tricorder once again, looking down at the surroundings now and again.

Kihyun caught up, catching his breath. “Then, let’s go back. Seriously, nobody has to know. It’s not too late. You know me, I can break regulations and I definitely don’t tell the Captain everything. There are a few transgressions that could have landed me in the brig over the years and he’s none the wiser. We’ll just add this one to the list.”

“Yoo,” Hyungwon stated.

“Yes?” Kihyun answered, naively hopeful.

“Shut up.” Hyungwon continued back down, erring more east this time.

“How’s your head?” Kihyun asked, slipping again and grabbing onto a tree to keep from falling. The slope was increasingly steeper. How was Hyungwon gliding through it all so effortlessly?

“You shouldn’t be storming around like this. You’ve got a not-so-gentle sedative coursing through your system and it’ll do things like, you know, impair judgement, increase chances of injury. One of those ‘no handling heavy machinery’ type gigs. You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“I’m fine. Now, quiet.”

Kihyun glared at the back of Hyungwon’s head. “Chae, I think it’s very possible you’re experiencing a mental slip at the moment. What are we even doing?”

“Something stupid, but necessary.”

At least they could agree on half that. His hip burned, his ass was wet, dead leaf particles stuck to his hands, and this weather did shit for his hair. He was freaking out for the both of them considering Hyungwon seemed driven to single-handedly get them in more trouble than he ever thought possible. What the hell were they doing down here, searching for El Dorado?

They walked for about ten more minutes. Kihyun opened his mouth several times during the trip, but closed it before speaking. As much as we wanted to return to the safety of the ship, he was intrigued by the unknown reason of this quest, what was so important Hyungwon put his job on the line.

Hyungwon slowed a little. “We’re almost there. Do me a favor and keep your lips sealed. For both our sakes.”

Kihyun stopped short. That changed things. “...We’re meeting someone? Please. Hyungwon, I’m not kidding. Let’s go back.”

“Too late for that.” Hyungwon gracefully slid down the remaining three feet and turned to look up at him.

Kihyun was too scared to glare like he wanted, but he gingerly continued down the slope until he stood at Hyungwon’s side. He looked up at him. “Am I in danger?”

“We’re not picking flowers, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I would never have done this to you.” Kihyun’s lips thinned, and he glanced up at him through frizzy fringe.

Hyungwon met his eyes, silent for a moment. “You’d never have cause to.”

Hyungwon broke the contact and frowned at whatever the tricorder was reading. He holstered it in exchange for his phaser.

Kihyun would be embarrassed at how close he was standing to Hyungwon a little later, but right now, nothing could get him to move away from this dumb human shield.

“What are we waiting for?” Kihyun whispered.

Hyungwon huffed. “Now you whisper?”

Kihyun tried not to clutch Hyungwon’s arm. Their surroundings were still and beyond some echoing bird song, it was quiet. It was pretty, too. If it weren’t so waterlogged, it would make for a nice hike. A nice date. If fact, he could almost see himself rolling around with Hyunwoo, getting leaves in his hair as they made out on the forest floor.

As he imagined it in the space not twenty feet in front of him, the trees rippled and a man walked out. Kihyun viciously glared up at Hyungwon, though the pilot’s attention was elsewhere. That was the Count.

To his surprise, Hyungwon trained the phaser on the man.

“Lieutenant Chae, I wasn’t sure you would come,” the man said. His eyes drifted to Kihyun. “Dr. Yoo, a pleasure to see you once again.”

_Pleasure, my ass._

“You said you had information,” Hyungwon said, not lowering the phaser. “What is it?”

The count smiled. “You don’t waste time. Come inside, first.” The man casually turned his back on the phaser and disappeared behind the veil once more.

“No,” Kihyun said, shaking his head adamantly. “I am _not_ going in there.”

“You’re welcome to stay out here with me,” an unseen voice drawled. Sharp rounded a tree five feet to his left. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wide trunk, running his eyes up Kihyun’s form appreciatively. “I’d love to keep you company.”

The blond and brunet appeared at their right, about ten feet up the opposite slope. They each had guns, though they remained holstered. Were they being watched this whole time?

Hyungwon looked down at him, a questioning brow raised.

Kihyun hit his arm, nodding his head forward for Hyungwon to get a move on. Kihyun didn’t grab onto the back of his uniform like a child, but it was a close thing.

Hyungwon moved forward, way too at ease considering the situation, until he disappeared. Kihyun stopped, hesitating. A second later, Hyungwon’s arm came out and pulled him through.

The Count faced them. “Welcome to my ship, the Ambrose. Perhaps not as large as the Newton, but, then again, _we’re_ not as large. It suits our needs quite well.”

“I’m not here for a tour,” Hyungwon droned. Underneath it all, however, his inner ship-geek was reeling from the cargo bay alone. This ship came from serious money.

“No. You’re not,” the Count agreed, opening an entrance and walking through.

Sharp, the blond, brunet and three others followed them up the ramp.

“I don’t like this,” Kihyun murmured.

“Then wait outside,” Hyungwon said without turning back to him, knowing full well Kihyun would do no such thing. He followed the Count out of cargo bay and into the ship, memorizing the layout as he passed. Very serious money. This place was outfitted to the nines.

It was also...cozy. Personal touches left their mark here and there: a pinup poster, a heavily used kitchen, a signed soccer ball discarded at the end of the hall. Hyungwon typically viewed people as objects in situations like this; it was easier to kill an object. But, that vision was difficult to uphold in the wake of this _home_. The men following them were still an unknown danger, but they were also people who these items belonged to.

The Count took them into a meeting room not unlike the War Room. Looking at the table, he’d bet their technology beat Starfleet’s. The man motioned for them to sit, but Hyungwon extended his hand out to a chair indicating for him to do so first.

The easy smile returned, and the Count pulled out a chair, sitting on the other side. The stragglers joined him on the far side, except for Sharp, who took a seat to the left of where Kihyun was standing. Only then did Hyungwon sit. Kihyun cautiously lowered in the chair next to him.

“I suppose introductions are in order,” the man began. “My name is Cha Seungwon. This is our ship, we run a profitable business serving the needs of the elite and have invited you here, quite selfishly, for our own ends.”

He gestured to the serious young man at his side. “This is Kim Yoosu, my right hand. Dr. Yoo, I believe you are already acquainted with Noh Yoonho and Choi Seokwon,” he indicated the blond and brunet. “And, of course, your patient, Song Gunhee. Gun, give Dr. Yoo a little space.”

“You got it, Boss.” Sharp rolled his chair approximately two inches away.

“And then, we have Park Kwangji. Last, but not least, Park Minkyun, or MK, still in training.”

MK blushed at Kihyun and looked down at the table.

“I am here for information alone,” Hyungwon said. He spared the others a cursory glance. “Not to make acquaintances.”

Seungwon set his hands on the table and clasped his fingers. “I find information flows more freely when phasers aren’t involved.”

“Really?” Hyungwon said. “I’ve found the opposite to be true.” Despite the words, he graciously set it on the table.

Seungwon nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“Why did you invite me?” Hyungwon began.

“We’re innocent.”

“Of what?” Hyungwon mused aloud, well aware of what he was referring to. He wanted to hear it directly from the source.

Seungwon found that amusing. “Of the plans you ‘found’ in our summer house.”

“Are you implying they’re not yours?” Hyungwon asked.

“Depends on your perspective.”

Hyungwon grew impatient. “I’m here because I’m interested in yours. Do you have information or not? You got inside my head, quite violently, I might add, and told me you had information relative to Kcolrehs. I’m risking everything being here right now, and you might be talking, but you’re not actually saying a damn thing.”

“Stubborn,” Sengwon noted. “I am giving you information. Do you think you discovered those blueprints or do you think perhaps you were led to them?”

“If not yours, then whose are they?”

Seungwon nodded, pleased. “That is for you to find out.”

“So, you don’t know,” Hyungwon stated.

“My contract prevents me from saying more.”

“This has been pointless.” Hyungwon stood up.

Kihyun tugged him back down, shaking his head. “Read the room,” he hissed. “He’s open to more questions.”

Kihyun curled his fingers over the arms of the chair and regarded Seungwon. “Mr. Cha, if your hands are tied, are we to assume they belong to a client or business partner?”

“An interesting notion, Dr. Yoo.”

Kihyun’s lips flattened. He shared Hyungwon’s ire. He had no love for Seungwon’s roundabout way of talking or answering questions. “You’re taking a risk by underhandedly throwing them under the bus. Why is that?”

“Perhaps it’s that they have something worse on you,” Kihyun continued.

“I must say, Dr. Yoo, you become more interesting every time we meet.”

“I’d rather not make a habit of it,” Kihyun clipped.

Seungwon smiled. “Lieutenant,” he sobered. “I will tell you something, and it is a truth I know you know well. Things are rarely black and white, good or bad. In this journey for truth, I would advise your team not to kick up every rock looking for answers. After all, it is the people who work in the light that cast the largest shadows.”

Hyungwon grit his teeth. That was it? He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. _This_ was bullshit.

“I don’t suppose you have any further questions?” Seungwon asked with a warmth missing from his earlier exchanges. It lacked the placid smoothness of his usual tone.

Hyungwon searched his face, knew what he was asking, but found himself unwilling to say it. Finally being in front of him,...it was a letdown for so many reasons.

“No,” Hyungwon answered.

If Seungwon was disappointed, he hid it well.

“Well, I do,” Kihyun said, sitting up closer to the table. “Were you there that day we left? Was that you?”

“I’m not as spry as I once was,” Seungwon answered.

“Why were you there?” Kihyun pressed.

Seungwon looked to Hyungwon. “Sentiment.”

“We need to get back.” Hyungwon stood, holstering his phaser. “Let’s go. As expected, this was a waste of time.”

“And, yet, you came,” Seungwon said. There was disapproval in his voice.

“In the future, stay out of my head. What gives you the right?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened. Was that what earlier in the arboretum was about? Also, why wasn’t Hyungwon taking advantage of this opportunity? If that wasn’t a potential father-son moment a second ago with the ‘sentiment’ and all that, he didn’t know what was.

Hyungwon pulled Kihyun’s chair out. “Now.”

Kihyun stood up, casting his eyes over the men, and turned to follow Hyungwon out. They weren’t escorted or followed; they left the ship, passed through the veil and headed up the slope.

They walked for a while in silence, making it about halfway back before Kihyun broke.

“Hyungwon,” Kihyun started. “What the fuck were you doing back there?”

“Wasting our time,” Hyungwon responded, moving a branch out of the way with an arm.

Going up was way worse than going down, Kihyun’s lungs were already feeling it. “No shit. That was your father. You didn’t even acknowledge it.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Kihyun narrowly dodged a prickly bush. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Hell, Yoo. Did you see that ship? It’s a fucking home. Eighty miles south, they have a damn summer house. He’s known where I was for who knows how long and only reaches out when he needs Starfleet to take care of someone for him? Through me? He didn’t even give us anything to go on, so, not only have I screwed myself, I’ve nothing to show for it." Hyungwon shook his head. “No. Fuck him. I’ve just ruined myself for nothing.”

“No arguments there,” came another unseen voice as Flynn materialized on a rock, leg dangling over the edge and picking at his nails.

Kihyun’s breath caught. Fuck this shit.This time he really did clutch onto Hyungwon, who was already pulling them down into cover.

Flynn laughed. “There’s no hiding. My new benefactor has been more than generous.”

Men materialized in the surrounding perimeter. Kihyun turned, pressing his back into the rock. They were surrounded. “What do we do?”

“Seal our fate,” Hyungwon murmured, lifting a hand to his badge to call for help.

A laser fired and seared through Hyungwon’s hand and into the badge behind it. 

“Fuck!” Hyungwon curled over Kihyun. “Throw your badge away. Now,” he grit out.

Kihyun’s hands were shaking, but he threw it to the side under the cover of Hyungwon’s body.

“Smart move,” Flynn said, making his way down the slope. “Stand up. Hands behind your head.”

“Do it,” Hyungwon said. Only when Kihyun was up did Hyungwon follow.

Kihyun caught Hyungwon’s foot push something into the soil and leaves as he slowly made his way to his feet. His hand bled onto the leaves below as he positioned them behind his head.

Flynn went up to Hyungwon and removed the damaged badge, tossing it to the leaves, before turning to Kihyun.

“Well, Sweetheart, we meet again.” Flynn ruffled his hand over Kihyun’s head. “How’s the noggin?”

“I thought you worked for Cha,” Kihyun said, confused. Was it possible this whole thing was an ambush? He shook his head. It was too elaborate for that. Why go through the trouble of talking to them if Cha was going to get rid of them?

“Zip it, Yoo,” Hyungwon ordered.

Flynn appraised Hyungwon for a moment before turning back to Kihyun.“I work for whoever pays me and the last time I worked for ‘Cha,’ as you say, I lost one of my men, or had you forgotten?”

Kihyun swallowed.

“Crest, Check’m,” Flynn called, stepping back. “Let’s get them on the ship.”

“Orders were to kill them,” the man, Crest, said.

Flynn’s lip curled, assessing his captives. “Orders were to nullify communication between our target and the Newton. Mission accomplished.”

Kihyun watched a man disarm and run hands down Hyungwon, who, despite a hole in his hand, looked cool as a cucumber. He hysterically wondered if it was the sedative or if Hyungwon simply excelled at not giving a fuck.

He could do with a sedative right about now, he was about to jump out of his skin. 

Assuming whatever Hyungwon pressed into the ground was a beacon of some sort, help might be on the way. On the other hand, it could be a bomb and he was about to lose a foot, possibly a head. There were too many men to make a run for it. They were all armed.

One thing was certain, Flynn and his men looked to have come into some success. Besides the invisibility nonsense and transport means, their equipment was impressive, not that he knew much about weapons, only how to deal with the aftermath.

Kihyun paled when the man checking Hyungwon’s boots and ankles rose from his crouch and got in his face, gripping his jaw.

“Jefferson was a good friend of mine.”

When Kihyun tried to pull back, he laughed, pleased with Kihyun’s fear. “Calm down. You’re not everybody’s type.” He forcefully pushed him back by the jaw.

“Hngh!” Kihyun bit out as Crest twisted his arm behind his back to the point his shoulder joint strained. Kihyun was up on his tippy toes leaning back into Crest to ease the pain.

“You going to give us trouble, Doctor?” Crest asked.

Kihyun shook the back of his head desperately against Crest’s shoulder. “No.”

“Good.” He let go of his arm and Kihyun stumbled forward. “Arms out, feet shoulder width apart.”

Kihyun followed his orders. His eyes stayed on Hyungwon, his only lifeline here, his only source of comfort even if he was the cause of it. Hyungwon was monitoring Crest’s actions like a hawk. For the first time, he saw some emotion on his face, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was, regret or possibly nervousness.

Crest came up behind him and gripped the back of his neck.

“Un!” Kihyun winced.

“Head straight.”

Kihyun looked away from Hyungwon and into the men ahead. Hands moved down his extended arms and sides, slid up under his uniform and lilac gossamer undershirt. It was the same thing Crest did with Hyungwon, but it was deliberate, slower. 

However, after crouching behind him, running hands down his legs and ankles, checking his boots, Crest worked his hands back up to his waist and slipped his hands underneath his pants, checking his crack. Hyungwon received the same treatment, but not underneath his clothes.

Crest was getting payback.

Kihyun squeezed his eyes closed. This was humiliating. Crest’s hands moved to his front and cupped him. “My, you are a little princess, aren’t you?”

A few men close by laughed.

Kihyun grit his teeth.

“What?” Crest asked, bringing his ear closer to Kihyun as if trying to hear him better. “What’s that?”

Crest pulled his hand out in mock outrage and side swept Kihyun’s legs out from under him. Kihyun’s chin hit the ground hard, tasting blood on his tongue.

“Hey!” Hyungwon shouted, getting Crest’s attention. “He’s cooperating.”

The man looked to Hyungwon, amused, and straddled over Kihyun’s back. “Guess he learned something after all.”

Crest pushed the side of Kihyun’s face into the dirt and leaves. He hovered low, bringing his lips to Kihyun’s ear. “You’ve no idea how happy I am that you’re the one who came down here. You’re going to wish we killed you, Doctor. Your boy pussy may not my type, but look at all those men.”

When Crest saw Kihyun’s eyes squeezed shut, he took a handful of his hair and yanked his head up. “Look!”

“Ung!” Kihyun opened his eyes, watching the men watch them.

“They’d love to fuck your little pussy, and they will, again and again. Then, when we’ve grown bored with your sloppy cum hole, we’re going to sell you like the half-breed whore you are. Jefferson owed them quite a bit of money, you see; looks like you can pay it back for him.”

Hyungwon met Kihyun’s eyes and shook his head minutely, asking Kihyun to endure in silence. Men like this had absolutely no qualms about following through when provoked, proving their dominance by beating the shit of _weaker_ prey.

Flynn sighed and shook his head. “That’s enough. You’ve made your point. So fucking immature, the lot of you. Crest, get off the goods.”

“ _Now_ ,” Flynn added when Crest didn’t do it at an acceptable speed.

When Crest moved off Kihyun and stepped back, Flynn unsheathed a wickedly sharp knife and offered the butt to Kihyun. “Since you complained so loudly last time.”

Kihyun stared at Flynn darkly, getting up to his knees.

“Or, shall I?” Flynn offered, flipping the knife and catching the handle.

“No,” Kihyun stopped him. “I’ll do it.” His eyes again swept to Hyungwon, but he once again shook his head.

Taking the knife, he dropped to his ass on the wet forest floor and braced his arm on a leg, pulling up the sleeve. His hands were shaking too badly. He set the knife on his knee and wiped his hands off on his pants. He had to take a few breaths to calm himself.

“This is wholly unsanitary,” he mumbled and began the incision, an inch long cut, then hunched over his arm, gritting his teeth as he pulled the tracker out and placed it in Flynn’s outstretched hand.

Kihyun got up and walked towards Hyungwon.

“I don’t have one,” Hyungwon said.

“A likely story,” Flynn said.

Hyungwon shrugged, hands still behind his head. “Cut me open all you like, you’re not going to find one.”

Kihyun narrowed his eyes. Why wouldn’t he have one? Everybody on the ship had one. It’s regulation. If someone got lost, they could be found. If, god forbid, someone was ejected into space, at least their body could be recovered for family or religious purposes.

Flynn sighed. “Kid, if you don’t cut him, I’m just going to saw his arm off to be sure.”

Kihyun lifted the hem of his dirty uniform to clean the knife on his undershirt. “Your arm,” Kihyun asked.

Hyungwon offered his arm, blue veins prominent on the underside of his pale wrist.

Kihyun pushed up his sleeve. He knew exactly where these things were. He implanted a good two hundred in his lifetime. As he sliced into the skin and blood welled up, he stuck a finger into the slit and felt nothing except Hyungwon’s slight flinch.

Kihyun stepped back and looked at Flynn. “Nothing.”

Flynn tossed Kihyun’s tracker next to their badges on the ground. “Fisher, dispose of those. It’s time to go.” He held out a hand for his knife.

Kihyun reluctantly returned it.

Hyungwon nodded Kihyun forward, whose caretaker pushed him into moving. An eight-minute trek through dense trees put them in front of a lake. Kihyun wondered why they were stopping. Did they already need a rest?

However, a minute later, the surface of the lake rumbled. Ripples spread across the dark water followed by waves until a ship ascended. Its thrusters blew into the surface of the water and caused a misting wind that reached them at the shore. Moving across the lake to the sand and pine needles where they waited, a ramp lowered for its crew and prisoners.

Flynn dropped an arm around Kihyun’s neck. “Fancier than you remember? It’s called the Errol.”

 _Really? Errol Flynn._ Kihyun scowled at the weight on his shoulders. “You’ve done well for yourself, Captain.”

“Buck up, kid. It’s nothing personal. Could’ve killed you back there.”

Kihyun shook off his arm. “Why didn’t you?”

“I’m not about to destroy goods if there’s a profit to be made. Don’t worry. I won’t let them rough you up too much. If I’m going to sell you, you’ll need to be in pristine condition.”

They were interrupted as Flynn prodded him up the ramp.

“How much did he pay you?” Cha called, breaking through the trees with Yoosu and Sharp. An elegant pistol lay loosely in his grip at his thigh.

“More than you ever did,” Flynn said, turning around. Armed men were coming down the ramp at the arrival of their unexpected guests.

“I pay according to the level of service provided,” Cha answered, raising the pistol and firing before Flynn could raise his phaser.

Kihyun immediately dropped at the gunfire with wide eyes, waiting to see what was happening.

“Anything more is the sign of a desperate man,” Cha finished to himself.

Everyone froze.

Flynn dropped at Kihyun’s side. _Dead._ Kihyun’s hands hovered over him for a second, but there was no coming back from that, through his eye and out the back of his head. Blood ran down the ramp.

Kihyun’s eyes immediately sought out Hyungwon on the shore, who had two men with guns at his head. Crest walked back down the ramp and shoved Flynn’s body over the side with a boot. “Get on the ship, Doctor.”

Kihyun looked up at him from his crouch. “I’m not entirely sure you’re in a position to be giving orders, Colgate.”

Crest grinned and grabbed a fistful of hair again, yanking him up to his feet and securing Kihyun to his front. He placed the nozzle of his phaser to his head. “Cute,” he said.

“You really want to play this out?” Crest called down to Cha. “You’re outnumbered.”

“That’s a question of quantity versus quality. How confident are you in the answer?” Cha called.

Kihyun hysterically thought like father, like son. How were they both so stupidly chill right now? Likewise, Crest sounded perfectly sure at his back; he had a ship on his side.

“Let them go and you can walk away. I will not negotiate any further than that,” Cha said.

Crest looked at him incredulously. “Back off now or you’re dead.”

Cha stepped further out onto the shore, Sharp and Yoosu at his side. “Do you not understand the purpose of your own mission? You can’t kill me. It’s not what he wants. However, if you release them to our custody, he’ll be none the wiser and you’ll have earned your pay.”

“Why are you so invested in these two? They’re just a couple uniforms.” Crest shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. We have all the cards. I think we can get you to negotiate anything we want.”

Wet breeze from Flynn’s ship continued to whip at Kihyun’s hair, so he didn’t notice the intensity of the wind building until he saw the effect on the men at shore: their clothes snapping against their bodies, the confusion as to where it was coming from. Trees quivered indignantly from the force of it.

When the Ambrose uncloaked itself above the treeline, he felt Crest’s arm tighten on him.

Hyungwon took advantage of his captors’ distraction, moving behind one and snapping his neck. He pushed the body into the other soldier and they all went down.

All hell broke loose.

Kihyun thought for sure he was a goner with all the fire, but in dawning horror, he realized Flynn’s ship put up a shield. After the first couple shots, the fire wasn’t making its way past the perimeter of the ship.

Crest let go of him. “Get on the ship, Doctor. I’m not leaving this place empty-handed.”

Kihyun made a run for it. Crest almost caught hold of him, but he switched course. He jumped off the side of the ramp, hitting the ground awkwardly on his feet. He rushed forward, limping to Flynn’s body, falling to the ground at his side and prying the phaser from his grip.

“Alright,” Crest said, unhurried, crouched at the edge of the ramp about eight feet above him, phaser trained on him. “It was a nice try. Hope it made you feel better, but it’s time to go.”

As Kihyun remained frozen, hand still gripping Flynn’s, Crest continued. “Two options. One, you die right here or, two, get on the ship and live to fight another day. Who knows? Maybe you’ll succeed tomorrow.”

Kihyun squinted as a red laser passed his eye. He let go of Flynn’s hand and dropped his head to the ground in defeat.

“You’re just going to leave your comrades?” Kihyun could feel his ankle swelling by the second.

“Comrades?” Crest chuckled. “You’re funny, Doc. They’re only more hands to pay. Come on. Up you go.”

Kihyun sat up and got to his feet. The laser passed over his eyes again. He limped to the base of the ramp, watching the chaos on the other side, frantically searching for Hyungwon in the mess, when a miracle happened.

Yet another ship came to the fight, not the Newton, whose drive was being dissembled, but one of its large fighter ships, the Cotes.

It fired on Flynn’s ship heavily, attacking the shield. The Errol returned fire. Kihyun stayed put. If he could prolong this enough, rescue was literally right there on the opposite end of the shore. Hell, he’d even take the Lost Boys at this point. Through the shield, he finally spotted Hyungwon, still alive, injured, but alive. Yoonho and Seokwon were out there, too, which meant the kid-MJ and Kwangji must be on the Ambrose, who now had its own shield up including a wide perimeter below it.

Eventually, the men on the shore wised up. Some of Flynn’s men retreated under the cover still provided by the Errol’s weakening shields. In effect, Count and company took cover under the Ambrose, unable to justify standing in the open if there was no one to shoot at.

Hyungwon, conversely, was working his way towards the Errol’s force field. Kihyun thought it rather stupid, and he got nicked in the shoulder for it. He was practically alone out there now except for a few of Flynn’s stragglers, too scared or injured to make a run for cover, but still firing at Hyungwon, the only man left to hit. Hyungwon quickly eliminated the source and kept going, ducking behind a rock.

Kihyun clenched his fists, terrified. What was he thinking? Cover was the opposite direction.

Crest worked his way up the ramp. “Boys, this is last call. Get on the ship. Grab the goods.”

A firm hand grabbed his bicep and pulled him up the ramp. The Errol grew louder. They were leaving. Kihyun pulled with all his might, but it was useless as the ramp was full of men walking up, pushing him forward.

That was when the shields failed and the ramp shook with the force of the blow the Errol received. That was also when Hyungwon stood and advanced, killing man after man struggling to get onto the ship. Kihyun was freed in the process and he turned, fighting his way down the ramp in the oncoming traffic, who kept falling at Hyungwon’s fire.

“Don’t have all day, Yoo!” Hyungwon shouted, crouching down behind a rock again, popping up to fire a couple rounds against some braver men who shot back.

Kihyun grunted, pulling his foot out from under a body then stumbling over it. He made a break for it at the bottom, hobbling towards Hyungwon in as close to a run as he could manage.

“Hey Doc!” Crest shouted from the top of the ramp.

Kihyun most assuredly did not turn at that, he was nearly to Hyungwon, but his body filled with nauseating dread as a shot whizzed past his ear.

Hyungwon stood, grabbed his outstretched hand, and yanked him, twirling him to the safety Hyungwon’s body provided and took the second shot in Kihyun’s stead. Kihyun felt the force of it through Hyungwon. They crashed to the ground in a hard fall.

For the second time in under thirty minutes, Kihyun’s front and cheek were in the ground. Kihyun was already crying, knew the severity of the hit without looking. Hyungwon’s blood stained the sand.

Hyungwon remained slumped over him. “No matter what, stay under me. You’re gonna live.”

Kihyun tried to move, to get out from under him, but Hyungwon wrestled him still. “No,” Hyungwon said. “No matter what.”

“No.” Kihyun moved again.

Hyungwon’s bloodied hands found Yoo’s wrists and held them into the sand. “Yoo, please. You’re not dying because of me. Stay down.”

Hyungwon was hit one more time and his grip on Kihyun’s wrists loosened.

An ear-splitting explosion covered Kihyun’s horrified scream. He felt the hot wave of it pass them, blowing up dirt and sand into their eyes and blinding them.

“Told you,” Hyungwon managed. “You’re gonna live.” His breath rasped at his ear.

The Cotes ceased fire. Hoseok, ten soldiers and Hyunwoo ran down the still opening ramp into the clearing.

“Help!” Kihyun tried to yell, but coughed on the dirt and sand they inhaled. He moved out from under Hyungwon.

It was loud: the combination of both ships in the air, the crackling and whooshing fire that was once the Errol, the blinding sandstorm caused by the wind of the ships. Under the amber light of the shield, where Cha and the others stood, it was still, as if he was looking into another world.

Kihyun’s hands hovered over Hyungwon’s back, trying to gauge the damage. It wasn’t too late, even if he died, he could bring him back. He just needed his things.  
He looked up from Hyungwon. Why weren’t they coming? The asshats were focused on Cha and the others behind the shield while Hyungwon was dying sixty feet away.

“Med Kit!” Kihyun screamed. This time it managed the volume Kihyun was capable of, and he screamed it again when they didn’t look back. Pressing fingers to Hyungwon’s neck, he counted the beat under his fingers. Hyungwon’s pulse was thudding in attempt to pump blood that wasn’t there.

Hyunwoo turned to him and pushed a soldier towards them, who came running over.  
When the man was within arm’s reach, Kihyun pulled him down, ripping open his left breast pocket and taking out a second-life pen, a drug cocktail that helped soldiers continue fighting when severely wounded or to remain conscious until medical could do their job. Wasting no time, he stuck him. Stealing a knife from the soldier's belt, he ripped up the back of Hyungwon’s shirt.

Kihyun assessed the damage clinically then tapped the soldier’s commbadge. He gripped onto the man’s sleeve to stay upright. He didn’t feel so good. “Transport to Sickbay. Three to beam up.”

The soldier met his eyes. “The ship is down, Doctor. Power is gone.” He nodded his head to the Ambrose. “It’s them.”

Kihyun swallowed, pulling off his uniform, turning it inside out and pressing it into the bloodbath on Hyungwon’s back. He needed to stop the blood loss before he crashed. Kihyun held out his hand. “Coagulant skin.”

He wiped him down once more and, taking the offered emergency cover, he unrolled and secured the second skin to his back. This was a _very_ temporary bandaid.

“Okay. Let’s get back to the ship. The Cotes has a gurney, right? Sickbay runs just fine without power.”

Hyungwon was coming to, blinking his eyes open. Kihyun put his fingers back to his pulse. “Stay down,” Kihyun warned.

Hyungwon ignored him, sitting up and watching the scene from a distance. “We can’t go back,” he said.

“Hyungwon, you are dying right now. _Lay down_.”

Kihyun viciously grabbed the soldier’s vest, looking for his name. “Ensign Spirhold, I am your superior officer. You are getting that fucking gurney, coming back here and taking us to sickbay.”

Spirhold shook his head. To his credit, he looked regretful. “An hour ago, maybe, but you can’t pull rank anymore.”

“Like hell I can’t,” Kihyun snapped. He looked over to the space between the Cotes and the Ambrose. “Hoseok!” he screamed.

Hyungwon watched the exchange up the shore, close to the treeline. He didn’t have to know what words were being exchanged. When Kihyun’s voice yelled for Hoseok again, Hyungwon coughed, even to his untrained ears he knew it didn’t sound right.

“Don’t bother,” Hyungwon wheezed. “I get it now.”

Kihyun whirled back to him, frightened. “Stop talking, you moron!”

“Martial law?” Hyungwon got to his feet.

Kihyun’s eyes welled with helpless tears, getting up with him and holding him. Hyungwon swayed in his arms. He couldn’t save him like this, he was on borrowed time. “Hyungwon, you might feel fine, but you’re a walking corpse right now. There is a fucking hole in your back. Do you understand?”

Spirhold nodded to Hyungwon, getting to his feet and helping Kihyun hold him upright. “That’s right. At 1248 hundred hours, the individual known as Cha Seungwon has been named an enemy of the Federation. Starfleet is to capture or kill at any cost.”

Hyungwon licked his lips, tasting blood. He pulled away from Kihyun. When Kihyun reached out for him again, he pushed him down into the blood-soaked sand. He took a few steps back, towards the amber light of the Ambrose’s shield.

Kihyun’s eyes widened. What was he thinking? On closer inspection, the light was paler in front of them. Permeable. _They were inviting Hyungwon._

“No, no.” Kihyun held out a halting hand, as if the motion would somehow keep the pilot from taking yet another step back. “What are you doing?”

Hyungwon shook his head. “I'm sorry. I can't go back.”

“Hyungwon, please,” Kihyun entreated, scared.

Kihyun panicked. “Stop!” his voice cracked. He hesitantly rose to his feet again, hands out placatingly.

“Chae, no!” Hoseok yelled, running down the perimeter of the shield.

Hyungwon looked over to Hoseok’s approaching frame then back to Kihyun. “I'll be fine, Yoo.”

 _He’d be fine?!_ He’d be long dead by the time those guys could even think about kidnapping another doctor.

With a helpless expression and a hand at his oozing shoulder, Hyungwon stepped behind the barrier, sealing his fate.

Kihyun bit out a frustrated, agonized curse, realizing the asshole just sealed his own as well. He looked over his shoulder and saw his crew. Hoseok stopped dead in his tracks, frozen in disbelief, staring at Hyungwon.

Kihyun was panting with the revelation of what was happening, unable to get enough air, but his body moved for him. His ears whooshed with a buzzing sound. He turned slightly towards his crew, towards Hyunwoo, even as his foot took a step back in the other direction.

He saw, even if he couldn’t hear, his captain telling him not to move, ordering him to stay where the _fuck_ he was. He hesitated, looking back at Hyungwon’s retreating form: weak, staggering, dying. Gun and the Count rushed towards Hyungwon, no longer interested in exchanging words with Captain Son and the crew of the U.S.S. Newton.

With one last, almost numb look at Hyunwoo, and then a charging Hoseok, he stepped behind the Ambrose’s barrier, jogging towards the ship to help the others with Hyungwon. He didn’t look back.

Kihyun felt the familiar pull of warp before they could even lay Hyungwon down on the cargo bay floor. It was quickly followed by an almost out-of-body, slow-motion crash, before it stilled. They were gone, Kihyun realized. Just like that.

He pressed his hands over the smaller, bleeding gash on Hyungwon’s shoulder, a frozen expression on his face. He licked his dry lips and met Hyungwon's eyes. 

“Fuck,” he said in disbelief. “We've really done it now.”

—————————————————————————————————

Hyunwoo watched the men disappear behind the closing hatch, stock-still.

“Control. Get a lock on that ship. Now!” As he ordered it, he knew it was too late.

The Ambrose was gone. Chae Hyungwon-his brother, his Chief Helms Officer, a person he trusted above all else-turned his back on them. Yoo Kihyun-his fucking Chief Medical Officer, his lover, his light-was gone. The Federation just called open season on that ship. Lambs for the slaughter, the both of them. He was a Starfleet Captain, what the _hell_ was he supposed to do now?

—————————————————————————————————

The doors to the War Room closed.

“Fuck!” Hyunwoo roared, taking a chair from the table and swinging it into the wall.  
He stormed back to the table, laying his palms flat on the surface and bent his head, trying to regain some composure. Tension knotted his shoulders and his blood rushed with such fury, his heart palpitated dangerously. A caustic smile twisted his face. If he had a heart attack right here and now, his physician wouldn't even be here to save him.

Hoseok looked at Hyunwoo with concern. Unsurprisingly, power returned the instant the Ambrose passed the wormhole; was already restored by the time they arrived back at the Newton. His Captain had kept it together on the bridge when they returned: informed the crew of the events at the shore, explained what changes would need to occur to accommodate this new martial law, and spoke a few words of hope and endurance. Hoseok wasn’t entirely sure how he pulled that off. Now, behind closed doors, all bets were off.

“We have to go after them,” Changkyun said.

Hyunwoo’s shoulders bunched further. “Go after them? Christ, Kyun. Of course we have to go after them. Do you know why?”

Hyunwoo lifted his head and leveled Changkyun with a look. “They're fugitives, Kyun. Starfleet fugitives at that. One of which is a Section 31 operative, and, they're both on the most wanted ship in the universe. What do you think is going to happen to the souls on that ship when they're caught, hm? A slap on the wrist? That vessel's been classified as Level Black. Take them if possible, but if not, end it.”

Changkyun clenched his jaw in anger, but he swallowed the retort down. He knew perfectly well what it meant. Hyunwoo wasn’t the only one gutted by this.

Hoseok stepped forward, trying to be the voice of reason. “That's why we need to get to them first. To keep the ‘if not’ from happening.”

Hyunwoo turned around, sitting against the edge of the table. He closed his eyes in thought. “We have no idea where they are, where that wormhole goes. No matter what course we plot, the chances we’re putting more distance between us are astronomical.”

Hyunwoo huffed a sardonic laugh. “And the kicker? I can’t make up my mind if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

Hoseok grimaced. He was right. Underneath it all, he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to catch up to them either. “I don’t see how there is a way to save Hyungwon from thi, and now he’s got Ki mixed up in this cluster fuck: aiding and abetting, disregarding a direct order from a Captain during a time of high alert no less. He’s ruined.”

Hyunwoo couldn't care less about Kihyun's career at the moment. He was more concerned with keeping them alive. “Okay,” he said. He needed to keep himself in check. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Jooheon’s got our core up and running again. Set course for Ilbal II. It’s the closest urban planet. We’re wasting energy flying around blindly out here. It’s possible they stopped there before for supplies, trade, god knows what else. We’ll ask around. It’s not much, but it’s a start. Have Shrier sweep Hyungwon’s quarters. I want data from tablets, computers, communicators. Everything.”

Changkyun’s eyes widened. “Captain, you can’t possibly think-”

Hyunwoo stopped him. “I don’t know what to think.” 

Hoseok frowned.

Changkyun looked between Hyunwoo and Hoseok. “I’ll report to the bridge. Make preparations for our new course.”

Hoseok nodded to him when Hyunwoo didn’t respond. When they were alone, he leaned against the wall across from his best friend. “You know he had to.”

Hyunwoo brought his head up and ran a hand over his mouth, leaving it there.

“In his heart, in his mind, there wasn’t an option. You know that.”

“Are we talking about Kihyun or Hyungwon here?”

“Kihyun, though I suppose it applies to Hyungwon too. Hell, Hyunwoo, it could have been a wounded stranger and Kihyun would have walked onto that ship. It’s one of the reasons you like him so much.”

“Yeah, well, he needn’t have bothered because when we find Hyungwon, I’m going to kill him myself. If the rest of Starfleet doesn’t get there first, that is.”

Hoseok sighed. “I know the feeling. But, I also know you. I can see you already weighing and considering every possible reason for Hyungwon’s actions today as we speak and when you find _the_ reason, that’s when we’ll know.”

Hyunwoo stared at Hoseok. “Know what?”

“Our path.”

“Fuck paths. It doesn’t matter when they all lead to the same destination. Hyungwon and Kihyun will be imprisoned, or killed in the process.”

“No,” Hoseok argued, “they don’t. Paths are mercurial. It’s the only way to win and evolve. You taught me that. You taught Hyungwon that too. Do you know what else you taught us?”

“What?” he asked gruffly.

Hoseok smiled. “Always have an exit strategy.”

Hyunwoo arched a brow, the first threads of something resembling hope pulling at his heart. “When did you become so obnoxiously optimistic?”

Hoseok shrugged a shoulder. “You’re about to burst a blood vessel. Somebody needs to take hold of the positivity reigns.”

Hyunwoo stared at the chair on the floor, the mark on the wall. “They’re in so much danger.”

“I know.” It sat heavy on Hoseok’s heart. It felt like waiting for the inevitable.

“Where’s that sickbay log I asked for?”

“It’s actually open on Kihyun’s computer, unfinished. Looks to be generic though. Migraine. He pulled some previous brain scans of Chae’s.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “Security feed?”

Hoseok sucked air between his teeth. “Yeah. You’re not going to like that. Shrier briefed me.”

“Show me,” Hyunwoo ordered, moving around the table and taking his usual seat.

Hoseok took a seat at his side and powered up the table, swiping and selecting on the holoscreen until he pulled up the arboretum. “This is 12:00. Kihyun’s usual lunchtime. No audio, but you can see, Kihyun’s pushing him during his alone time and it’s not very much appreciated. Kihyun storms off, then.... _BAM_ , it’s like he has an aneurism or something. Yoo to the rescue. Transport. Okay.”

Hoseok pulls up deck three. “This is 12:38. Hyungwon is exiting sickbay. Looks right as a peach, then ten seconds later, peek-a-boo, here comes Yoo, _not_ looking so peachy. Under other circumstances, I’d find stealth-mode Yoo adorable, but this is where you’re gonna get pissed.”

Hoseok fast-forwards through most of the walk until Hyungwon reaches the turbolift.

“Audio?” Hyunwoo questioned.

“Not until they’re inside. As you can see, they have a little tête-à-tête and Kihyun invites himself in. Now-” Hoseok starts the turbolift feed- “take a deep breath.”

Hyunwoo swiveled in his chair to face Hoseok. “There are tactical stationed on Deck 3, why was it not reported when an emergency lift was used?”

Hoseok paused it, moaning his unhappiness, and met Hyunwoo’s eyes. “We asked Cadet Lang, and his answer was simply, ‘It was Lieutenant Chae.’”

The thing was, Hyunwoo understood that answer. “Alright. Play.”

_‘You should have gotten off.’_  
....  
‘Are you fucking kidding me? You’re not going to shoot me.’  
....  
‘You’re coming with me. Let’s be clear, I don’t want you here, but you left me with no choice. I can’t have you running back to Captain and stopping me.’  
...  
‘Stopping you from what?’  
...  
‘Something I have to do....Walk at my side. Be normal.’ 

Hyunwoo blew out a breath he didn’t think he had. He licked his lips. “He-” Hyunwoo dragged a tired hand down his face- “He was going to choke him out right there,” he said incredulously. “Before the gun,” he continued in disbelief.

“In my expert opinion?” Hoseok said. “Yes.”

“What is going on in there, Hyungwon?” Hyunwoo said to no one.

Hoseok pulled up Transport Room 4. “Not going to like this, either.”

Hyunwoo watched as Kihyun stepped off the platform, getting a zap in the hip for his trouble, then disappear with Hyungwon in the beam.

Hyunwoo splayed his hands across the table in front of him, thinking. He recognized the gesture as one he picked up from Hyungwon and he closed his fists. He sat back in the chair instead. “Here’s the thing. Hyungwon loves that brat.”

“Yes,” Hoseok agreed, sitting back in his chair as well. The empty Transport Room continued to play on the screen.

It was true. Hyungwon had confessed after a particularly upsetting X mission and over three too many whiskeys, that Kihyun felt like a little brother. That he felt bonded with his X brothers and sisters, but it was different with Kihyun, a different kind of bond. That maybe it was because they both didn’t belong. Hyungwon saw Kihyun as a kindred spirit, despite their many differences.

Hyunwoo was at the helm on the Cotes. He witnessed Hyungwon put his life on the line for Kihyun.

“Despite his actions, at least at this point-” Hyunwoo motioned to the screen - “he didn’t think Yoo would be in mortal danger or he wouldn’t have taken him. He’d have choked him out in the lift and left him or disabled him in Transport Four.” Hyunwoo narrowed his eyes. “So...somewhere down there, in the middle of their little adventure, everything turned to shit.”

“Tactical is down there now. Soon, we should have coordinates and be able to track their footsteps, where the ships were, et cetera.”

Hyunwoo nodded. “That will help us with a timeline. For now, let’s hash this out. One would think Cha is the reason for Hyungwon’s field trip.”

“Agreed. Whether motivated by a drive to see him in person or information, I can see Hyungwon breaking regulation to find out. We both know how the blueprints of Kcolrehs affected him.”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo confirmed. “Additionally, Chae knows they didn’t hurt Kihyun a year ago, so he probably felt it safe to drag him along.”

“There was obviously a falling out between Cha and Flynn within the last year. In business, it’s not good to burn any bridges, but it was definitely burned here.”

Hyunwoo disagreed. “For the right price any businessman worth his salt would burn a bridge. That’s business.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened. _Ooh_ , Hyunwoo had that look going. The cogs were definitely turning in there.

“There’s something we haven’t considered here,” Hyunwoo mused.

“Which is?”

“We’ve been assuming the blueprints were left by Cha, but there has been another ship out here in Siren all along.”

“Flynn?”

“He’s familiar with B8246, with Siren. He’s been here before. He’s been in that complex before.”

“So you propose Cha’s being framed?”

“Hyungwon said it. ‘How do we know they did it?’ You were there at the Ambrose, did any exchange between Cha and us indicate ownership of those plans? He was vague as hell. Acknowledged he understood the charges easily enough, but remember his reasoning for not lowering the shield?”

“Yeah,” Hoseok said. “Hyunwoo, the man’s coo-coo.”

“Perhaps, but I think he truly believes it.”

“‘ _You have the ship, only one of you can take this journey._ ’” Hoseok swiped his hand through the air. “No, Hyunwoo, the man is a psychopath.”

“Not saying you’re wrong, but I’m inclined to agree with Hyungwon. I don’t think he’s _our_ psychopath. Hyungwon could be dead at this very moment, but in the end, he chose to walk into that amber light. My gut tells me Hyungwon knows he’s innocent, is certain of it. That’s good enough for me. Blood or not, he wouldn’t hop on board to die with a terrorist.”

Hoseok’s mouth parted. Hyunwoo wasn’t talking like himself at all. Not today, not lately. “Cap, Hyungwon can be incredibly childlike at times. You know this. He’s wanted to find a link to his past for so long then he finds one, only to realize it’s not what he hoped. You and I both thought he was deluding himself the day we found those blueprints.”

Hyunwoo continued on as if he hadn’t heard Hoseok. “Then, there’s the timing. We get official word Cha is enemy number one _as_ he’s here. This is...not adding up.”

Hoseok’s eyes bugged. “Whoa, slow down. That’s a big leap you’re making there, and it’s dangerous as hell.”

Hyunwoo met his eyes. “Say it for me then tell me there’s not something there.”

Hoseok bit his cheek, staring back at him. He cleared his throat. “Starfleet has been aware of the Ambrose’s location.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “Too big. _Someone_ in Starfleet has been aware and is orchestrating this from afar.”

Hoseok crossed his arms. “No, no. Hyunwoo. You’re suggesting someone in Starfleet is pinning Kcolrehs on Cha.”

“Maybe not Starfleet, but...-” Hyunwoo tilted his head to the side- “Cha wants us to look into it. He didn’t outright say it, but that’s what he wants. Maybe that’s why Hyungwon went down there.”

“You know pulls shit like that? Guilty people. It’s a classic distraction tactic. You of all people know that.”

Hyunwoo pinched the bridge of his nose. “There are too many unknowns, too many elements at play. For that reason alone, we can’t blindly point our fingers at them.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that ship is _the_ prime target of every Federation vessel.”

Hyunwoo inclined his head. He didn’t need a reminder; he was well aware.

“It also doesn’t change the fact that Ilbal II is three months away.”

Hyunwoo stood. Also, didn’t need a reminder. “I thought you were picking up the positivity reigns.”

“Sorry, Sir. Must have dropped them somewhere back there when you started pointing fingers at Starfleet.”

“Find them. I can’t man this ship alone.”

Hoseok rose. “Yes, Captain. Understood.”

—————————————————————————————————

Kihyun's breath stopped. “Hyungwon?!” He brought his fingers to his neck, reading the faint pulse.

He looked up to Cha frantically. “What do you have?” An unaccustomed panic speared through him. It wasn't often a loved one in his care was at death's door, not in an uncontrolled setting.

“Seokwon, grab the antigravity dolly.”

Seokwon rushed forward with the floating platform, helping Kihyun move the unconscious man onto the makeshift stretcher.

“The lab’s this way.” Yoonho grabbed the edge of dolly, which rose to his level. His touch on the metal was enough to easily drag it along beside him.

He led them to a door, the opposite direction from the hall they took earlier in the day. There was a metal table in the far center and Kihyun swiped his arm over the surface, clearing it of its contents. “On his front.”

Cha and Sharp worked him up to the table and turned to Kihyun. “What do you need?”

“Everything! How do you not have a sickbay?!” Kihyun looked around the lab erratically. “Water, towels, rubbing alcohol, a fucking medical kit, an IV, your blood. Now!”

The table was too high for him to work. Kihyun jumped onto the table, straddling Hyungwon’s lower back. He accepted the wet towels from Sharp, and got organized as, one by one, his items appeared. Yoonho came running in with three medical kits. Kihyun perused through them, pulling out this and that. The scalpels sucked. Did they think he was Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman?

“Laser knife?” Kihyun questioned.

Sharp dug in his pocket and tossed it up to Kihyun.

“Who isn’t squeamish?” Kihyun asked.

Yoonho immediately paled.

Cha came up to the table.

Kihyun met his eyes and nodded. “Everybody else out.”

“Actually, bring that magnifying lamp.”

Sharp picked up the lab light and set on the table.“Here?”

Kihyun nodded. “Yes.”

Kihyun picked up the rubbing alcohol and washed his hands with it. He looked at Cha seriously. “This is going to be messy, and it’s going to be fast. It _has_ to be fast, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Kihyun peeled the second skin off, blood almost poured from his wound. He pressed the towel down over it. “Hold it.”

Cha took over. “What do you do? Stitch him up?”

Kihyun breathed out, didn’t have the time to explain Hyungwon didn’t cut his finger open and needed a few stitches. “Look, this man is likely going to die during this, and I’m going to do everything I can to bring him back, but I honestly don’t know, you don’t have a fucking sickbay.”

“Off.”

Kihyun took the laser knife and cut him open, an six inch incision that ran through the middle of the wound. “Try to wipe up the blood.”

Kihyun went in, hemostat in hand, and clamped the subcostal artery at the top, then went back in with another hemostat and clamped below. There weren’t any patches in the kits, so he got to work suturing a vein to the hole in the artery. It was hard to see and work like this, but in time he felt confident enough in the suturing to remove the clamps from the vessel. Kihyun picked up a fresh towel and doused it in alcohol. He dabbed it along the skin, then dropped it, picking up the thicker medical suture and pulling Hyungwon’s skin back together with each line. He felt like a damn tailor. Medicine was too advanced to be butchering Hyungwon like this. Tying it off and snipping it, he brought his fingers to his pulse again, hovering over him and listening to his breathing.

“He needs blood. Sit down over there.” Kihyun pointed to a leather chair by a desk in the corner.

Cha settled in, looking to Kihyun for instruction.

“Sleeve.” Kihyun approached him.

Seungwon tugged the sleeve up, securing it at his elbow.

Kihyun pricked his thumb, squeezing a drop onto the test parchment from the med kit. “Just checking.” The test line turned blue for O.

Kihyun nodded, hooking the bag on the desk. He crouched down, prepping the puncture site, then connecting the line. “You good?” Kihyun checked.

“Yes.”

Kihyun returned to Hyungwon. He cleaned the gash at his shoulder and began suturing it closed. His back was to the Count when he spoke up. “Why don’t you have a sickbay, Mr. Cha?”

“None of them had an interest in medicine.”

“What if someone gets hurt? You just snatch a doctor?”

“No. You were our first and only. We have access to doctors on numerous planets. The kinds that keep a low profile for the right amount.”

“Hm.” Kihyun adjusted the light. “Those doctors keep a low profile because their ethics and practices are questionable.”

“I can sense your disapproval, Dr. Yoo. Our anonymity plays a big role in our success.”

“And, if one of your own was at death’s door, would you sacrifice that success?”

Cha was silent for a moment and Kihyun looked over his shoulder to make sure he hadn’t passed out. Cha met Kihyun’s eyes before he returned to Hyungwon.

“No. I have more than one person to care for on this ship. I can’t turn my back on all for one. It pains me, but that’s reality.”

“So, if I were to ask you to return us to the Newton at the earliest possibility?”

“Dr. Yoo, you seem to have missed out on the key highlight of the day. You are on the most wanted ship in the universe right now. If Son so desired, he could blast this ship to kingdom come. It is likely what he has been asked to do.”

His shoulders stiffened. “How could you take him then? You should have left us. You would condemn your own son to this?”

“He made a choice. You made a choice.”

“ _I_ did not make a choice.”

“You did. You chose to save him. Do you regret that?”

Kihyun didn’t answer him. He turned his attention to Hyungwon’s hand next. Regret saving him? No, though whether he lived or not remained to be seen. Regret not punching his lights out before he could cross over the shield? You betcha.

He tied off suture, cut the end then walked back to Cha. He agitated the bag. “Five or so minutes. Pump your fist a bit. Yes, like that. Keep it going.”

Wetting a towel with warm water under a sink, his heart fell. How was he here again? He was lost and scared. His only lifeline might not even make it through the day. Was there even a way back?

He walked back to Hyungwon, gently wiping the side of his face, cleaning his hands and fingers. “Can you at least provide supplies?”

“Make a list. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Do you have a bed we can make him comfortable in?”

“Of course,” Cha answered. “You’re bleeding, Dr. Yoo.”

“I know.” He cut his calf pushing his way down the ramp earlier.

“You’re angry,” Seungwon commented.

“Yes.”

“Explain,” Seungwon pressed.

“You never should have contacted your son in the first place if this was a possibility. He’s like this because of you.”

“No,” Seungwon denied calmly, “He’s like this because of himself.”

Kihyun glared up at him, the towel clenched in his fist. “How dare you?” he seethed.

“Our choices belong to us and us alone. He could have ignored me and stayed aboard the Newton. He could have taken cover under the Ambrose on that shore. He could have left you on that ramp. All of those belong to him. Just like you being on this ship, belongs to you.”

Rage trembled down his body. “It’s not that cut and dry. Don’t you have a heart?”

“I do, and it bleeds for him and every boy on this ship. That too is a choice.”

Kihyun was nearly vibrated with anger, at Cha, at this situation, at Hyungwon. He put his fingers at Hyungwon’s pulse and left them there, the only anchor he had at the moment, the only reason he had to stay present, because all he really wanted to do was drop to the floor in denial.

He approached Cha when the bag was full. “Call your men. Let’s get him settled before I start the transfusion. If you are able, I will take another from you.”

They set him up in Minkyun’s room, who offered to bunk with Yoonho. It was a twin bed and Sharp helped him to remove Hyungwon’s clothes and put on some clean pajama bottoms. MK’s cool, light blue pajamas didn’t quite reach Hyungwon’s ankles.

After Kihyun began the transfusion, Sharp sat down at MK’s desk, assessing Kihyun. Sharp scratched the back of his neck. “There’s a shower down the hall. You can borrow anyone’s clothes, but MK’s would fit you well.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Kihyun said.

“I’m no medical professional, but you don’t look so hot. You’re limping, bleeding, almost as gray as your friend there. You’re no good to him if you don’t look after yourself. I’ll stay with him.”

“I am not leaving him.”

Sharp sighed. “Have it your way,” he replied and walked out, quietly closing the door. Stubborn little thing, limping around in a dirty, bloody camisole, dirt on his face, sand in his hair. He walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer.

“How is he?” Kwangji asked from the table, a game of solitaire stretched out.

“Too soon to tell,” Sharp answered, grabbing the frozen peas. He sat down across from him. “I don’t get it. After all these years, Commander finally makes contact, but at the worst possible time.”

Kwangji flipped over a card. “He’s only human. No matter how many of us he collects, we’re still not a substitute for the man in that bed.”

Sharp tossed the peas on the table and crossed his arms. “He made contact to set the Newton on the right course.”

Kwangji smiled and shook his head at Sharp’s obtuseness. “He made contact to see Chae Hyungwon. He could have used any means of communication with the Newton and set them on the right path. He didn’t.”

“Are you okay with all this?” Sharp asked.

“Why not? Us becoming enemy number one was inevitable. We got in bed with the wrong person and now we’re paying for it. Honestly? I don’t know what the future holds. We could be dead inside a week, or jailed in a month, but at least Commander gets to see his son. Hell, at least we have two new people to talk to while we hide.”

Kwangji flipped another card and grinned. “How’s Dr. Spank Bank?”

“For the love of -, please don’t call him that while he’s on this ship.”

Kwangji grinned wider. “Poor guy, no clue MK’s been humping that pillow to thoughts of him.”

Sharp cringed. MK’s crush rivaled his own. That _intimate_ scene MK walked in on last year was the first naughty thing he’d ever seen outside a computer screen. If Hyungwon made it to tomorrow, they’d change the sheets.

He slowly stretched and got up. “I’m gonna deliver these. You up for a round of FIFA?”

“Sure. Nothing better to do,” Kwangji answered, completing a pile.

Sharp tapped a finger at the door then slowly opened it. Kihyun sat up at his arrival, scrunched between the wall and Hyungwon on the bed. He raised the peas and approached.

“For you,” he handed them Kihyun.

“Thank you.” Kihyun rolled up the pants leg and set it on the puffy, blue ankle.

“You realize it’s not even four o’clock yet, you’re just gonna go to bed?”

“I’m not-”

“-leaving him. Yeah, okay. Eventually, doc, you’re gonna have to do something else. Eat, bathe, pee. For better or worse, you’re a part of this ship for the time being, so is he. You can rely on us, we’re in this together now.”

Kihyun looked down at the sheets. “I’m tired. Thanks again.” He nodded to the peas.

Sharp frowned. “Anytime. If you need something, this ship isn’t as big as yours, shouldn’t be too hard to find one of us.” He backed away and turned off the light.  
Kihyun waited for the transfusion to complete, getting Hyungwon comfortable before finally crawling under the covers with him. He didn’t know how he slept, but he did. Holding onto Hyungwon’s wrist, he closed his eyes and finally escaped this shit day. When he woke up a few hours later, Hyungwon was still breathing. Taking vitals once again, he sat up.

He’d go ahead and get the list to the Count. Hyungwon was at serious risk for infection if he didn’t get the proper medicine. Awkwardly crawling over Hyungwon, he started towards the desk and nearly fell. Shit, his ankle was worse.

Okay. List. Shower. First aid. Food.

He opened the drawer, rummaging around for a pen and a piece of paper. MK had a lot of random little trinkets. Kihyun had no clue what they were, but he closed the drawer and opened another. There we go. He ripped out a page from a spiral-bound notebook and found a colored pencil.

Medical tricorder. Dermal regenerator. Pain inhibitors. Amoxicillin. Honestly, just get a damn sickbay. He folded the paper and left the room. Looking both ways down the hall, he chose right. He passed a few doors, heard possibly a movie playing behind one of them, but continued further down the hall.

Yoosu came out of a door at the end and spotted him.

“How is he?” Yoosu asked.

“Stable for now, but I need these.” Kihyun handed the list to him.

Yoosu opened it and nodded. “I’ll take it to the Commander.” He looked down at it again tilted his head in reservation before looking back at Kihyun. “You know, you could probably get away with asking for a lot more than this.”

Kihyun arched a brow. “Really?”

Yoosu arched a brow right back. “This is a grocery list. We’ve stolen entire ships before, the contents of an entire DNA bank, a cryogenic wooly mammoth. This is like asking us to steal a pack of gum from a convenience store.”

Kihyun’s brow furrowed. “Oh.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know that or not. “Then, bring me inventory from a hospital sickbay.”

Yoosu nodded. “That’s more like it.” He folded it again and gave Kihyun a once over. 

“Shower’s third door on the right.”

Kihyun grimaced. He must look like a wreck if everyone felt the need to point out the shower to him. “I don’t want to leave Hyungwon alone.”

“I’ll send someone down.”

Kihyun met Yoosu’s eyes and inclined his head in gratitude. “Alright. I’ll only be a few.”

Walking into the bathroom brought on that deja vu yet again, only this time, he wasn’t limited to a room, but to a ship, and there weren’t anymore mysteries. Worst of all, the Count was correct. He _walked_ on to this ship, he made that choice. However, he wasn’t aware he was walking onto a ship now classified as a terrorist ship, not that it would have made a difference. He didn’t know how deep in shit he stood right now. Surely, he could go back at some point. Right?

Kihyun met his eyes in the mirror firmly. “This is a temporary arrangement.”  
_It has to be._

He swept the cami over his head and dropped it on the counter, quickly followed by his socks, pants and underwear. It took a while to get the water right as it erred towards scalding and made quick work of washing himself and scrubbing his hair. The water stung running down his calf, but it wasn’t in need of stitches. Some skin glue would do.

In hindsight, he ought to have brought some of MK’s clothes in here with him. Instead, he walked back to the room with a towel secured to his waist and dusty clothes clutched in his arms. There was nobody in the hall anyway. There was, however, someone in the room besides Hyungwon. The Count.

“Mr. Cha,” Kihyun acknowledged, not really wanting to set his clothes down on the desk and stand half-naked in front of Hyungwon’s father.

Seungwon rose from the end of the bed, where Kihyun could only assume he spent the last fifteen minutes staring at Hyungwon.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Seungwon turned around at the door. “Help yourself to anything you need, if you’re hungry, bored, whatever. Yoonho and Gunhee have left to get your items.”

Kihyun’s eyes widened. “Already?”

“No point in putting it off. You need it. He needs it. The more hours that pass, the more risky the venture becomes. We’re wanted now. Within the next twenty-four hours, whatever sketches or pictures they were able to produce will be everywhere. If you have any last-minute necessities, now’s the time to tell me.”

“Where are we?”

“It’s better you don’t know. You won’t have to lie once you’re returned.”

“When is that happening?” Kihyun pressed.

“When it’s safe for us to do so.”

“Vague.”

“For your benefit.”

“And yours,” Kihyun countered.

“And ours,” Seungwon agreed, backing up to the door, which opened behind him. He placed a hand on the frame. “Thank you, Dr. Yoo. Again. You have a knack for saving my sons.”

Kihyun frowned, anger returning. He pushed it down. “And you have a knack for endangering them.”

Seungwon sighed. “I’ll check in on you both in a while. Feel free to do as you please while on board.”

The door closed and Kihyun dropped his clothes onto the desk with a huff. He picked out some generic black sweats and a white t-shirt. He was relieved the medical necessities he asked for were coming sooner rather than later. Rolling the desk chair up to the bed, he sat down and watched Hyungwon.

“Hang in there.”

What would happen once this was over? Would Hyungwon stay or go back? Kihyun didn’t think Hyungwon could go back. Himself, on the other hand, well, he wasn’t sure what he’d be going back to. Could he still be the Chief Medical Officer? Could he still be on the Newton, in Starfleet? Sure, he could argue it was the oath he took as a doctor that led him to board this ship, but he didn’t know how well that would hold up in front of a council. Changkyun was right, he wasn’t a normal citizen of Earth, he was in Starfleet, and they were held to a different standard.

This whole thing wasn’t really sinking in yet. He wanted Hyunwoo. He wanted Minhyuk. He wanted to take Hyungwon and go home, where they should be. 

Hyunwoo must be so angry at them, all of them must be. Shame pushed down on him and he bit his lip. This wasn’t the time to get emotional. Besides, if he was honest, he’d do the same thing again. He’d never walk away from someone who needed help, especially Hyungwon.

If Sharp and Yoonho were able to return with what he asked for, Hyungwon would be right as rain, and then Kihyun would really give him a piece of his mind. He leaned forward to check Hyungwon’s forehead and smooth the fringe out of his eye.

He slumped back into his chair. _Now what?_ His life was once again in the hands of other people.

Two hours later, the _what_ ended up being patching Hyungwon up properly. That in itself was a gruesome enough procedure as he needed to open him up once again to do it right. At least this time, he was able to bring him back to normal stats and smooth skin and administer a hell of a pain reliever and blood restorative. He’d yet to wake up, but he’d be fine. Physically. Assuming the Ambrose wasn’t blown to pieces.

He was hungry. It was past dinnertime, but he didn’t want to leave the bedroom. It was perhaps a little dumb and stubborn of him, but leaving and associating with them felt like a betrayal. So, he ignored his stomach, turned off the lights and went to bed for the night beside Hyungwon. He knew the door opened at least once before he fell asleep, but he kept his eyes shut and ignored it.

—————————————————————————————————

Hyungwon opened his eyes blearily, studying the unfamiliar surroundings. The ease at which he rolled from his stomach to his back surprised him until he saw Kihyun at his side, curled towards the wall.

He felt caked over in grime and groggy from whatever was running through his system. He carefully got out of bed. Deciding not to disturb him, he left, in search for someone else. The hall was slightly spinning and he put a hand on the wall to help guide his way.

“He lives,” Yoonho said from the kitchen.

Thank god, a fucking chair. Hyungwon moved forward, taking refuge.

“You look paler than your roommate. Cereal?” Seokwon offered, getting up to grab him a bowl and spoon. Gunhee pushed the cereal and milk towards him.

Hyungwon nodded his thanks, filling a bowl. His hand trembled bringing the spoon to his mouth. After crunching on the first bite, he turned to the three. “What happened?”

Gunhee watched Hyungwon take another bite. The dude was about as strong as a starving kitten. He wondered if Hyungwon was even supposed to be out of bed. 

“Captain Son read us the charges, asked us to lower the shield and turn ourselves over. Commander declined. There was some ambiguous back and forth, you know how Seungwon is.”

He didn’t, Hyungwon thought sourly, but that wasn’t important at the moment. “What exactly are the charges?”

Yoonho huffed. “How much time do you have?”

“Theft, kidnapping, undocumented ship, tax evasion, and then, you know, the mass murder on Kcolrehs.”

“What’s your plan?” Hyungwon asked.

All three boys looked up at the entrance.

Hyungwon didn’t bother turning around. He knew.

“That would be up to your Captain,” Seungwon said, coming in to take a seat at the table.

Unlike the rest, Seungwon had clearly been up for a while. He was showered and dressed. He didn’t reach for any food or coffee.

Seongwon appraised his son. “At the moment, the plan is to hide until the truth comes out.”

Hyungwon turned towards him. “What is the truth?”

“The truth is there’s no one better suited to get to the bottom of this than your captain.”

“Can you answer one god damn question?” Hyungwon’s heart was beginning to race and spots danced in front of his eyes.

“Very well. I made a deal-”

“ _We_ made a deal,” Yoonho interrupted.

“- a contract, with a person I never should have. We had nothing to do with the attack. We allowed access to Siren through a wormhole, where we believed they were testing mining equipment. It wasn’t until Kcolrehs fell and the mining in Siren stopped immediately, ships and equipment gone, that we made the connection. Normally, I would sever ties immediately, but, as I said, we made a contract. Five years, to be exact.”

“What did that entail?”

“What we do for anybody who hires us: gather and supply information, carry out crimes on their behalf. For him, primarily supply information.”

“About what?”

“Various vessels. Yours in particular was of great interest.”

Hyungwon’s brow creased. “The Newton?”

“Yes, but specifically fact-finding on Unit X.”

Hyungwon froze, stunned. Unit X was completely off the books. There’s no way they could have uncovered records.

“Hey,” Gunhee appeased, “we’re good at what we do. Be proud it took us as long as it did to figure out who was involved.”

“How?”

“We were always in your shadow. Where you went, we went,” Seokwon supplied.

“You still haven’t answered my question. Who did you work for?”

“If I tell you, you will remain on this ship until this is resolved.”

“I don’t understand, just tell Captain Son who it is.”

“That would condemn us as much as turning ourselves over. We’d forfeit our lives, that’s the nature of the contract.”

“Not if you take him down first.”

“We don’t break contracts. That’s as much of a death sentence as turning ourselves over. If we betray him and get away with it, it’ll only be a matter of time before another client decides we can’t be trusted and need to be silenced. Son will figure it out,” Seungwon said.

“Don’t you think this is a little more important than keeping your good name as _honorable criminals_? Thousands of people died.”

“And justice will be served, in time,” Seungwon replied.

Hyungwon rubbed his forehead wearily. “Tell me.”

“Captain So Jisub of the U.S.S. Starglider.”

Hyungwon stopped short for a moment then laughed. “You can’t be serious.”

“Captain So?”

Hyungwon and the others turned around at the voice. _Great._

Kihyun stood at the entrance, a tricorder in hand.

That wasn’t good. If knowing the who forced him to stay on this ship, it sure as hell would force Captain Son’s boyfriend to stay.

“Dr. Yoo, good morning,” Seungwon said.

Kihyun glanced around the kitchen, knowing he stepped into something he wasn’t meant to hear. He moved forward to Hyungwon running the tricorder over him and placing his hand on his forehead on instinct, despite the fact the tricorder would tell him.

Hyungwon reared back from his hand, not wanting to be mothered in front of them. Normally, Kihyun would have smacked him upside the head for it, but he pulled the tricorder back and read the stats instead.

“Your blood flow is weak, you need to be in bed. Get up. I’ll bring you something to eat that’s not concentrated sugar.” He sent a pointed glance to Gunhee.

The boys looked down, amused.

Echoing the day before, Kihyun pulled Hyungwon’s chair out. “Now.”

Hyungwon pressed his lips together, embarrassed. Kihyun honestly could take him right now if he wanted to, it’s not like he didn’t deserve it. Sure enough, when he stood, he almost went down. Kihyun took his elbow to safeguard his stance and walked him back into the bedroom.

“What’s it going to take for you to learn to get my permission before leaving bed? Hmm?” Kihyun mumbled more to himself than to Hyungwon halfway down the hall.

“I was fine,” Hyungwon answered anyway. “You shouldn’t have done that. We can’t look weak in front of them.”

“You should have considered that before greeting them good morning looking like death himself. Your blood is still restoring itself. You barely scraped by yesterday. Do you understand?”

The door opened before them and they passed through. Kihyun let go of his arm as Hyungwon moved toward the bed and sat down.

He went to the containers Gunhee and Yoonho carried in the night before, rifling through the gadgets and medicines. “After you eat something with nutritional value and get a little more sleep, I’ll let you shower. Can’t have you passing out in the steam and cracking your head open on the soap holder. All my hard work will have been for nothing.”

Kihyun turned around and approached him with an eyedropper. “Look up.” He placed a thumb on his eyelid and dropped the solution into his eyes one by one. “Sting?”

“A bit.” Hyungwon blinked, the excess solution ran down his cheeks. “What’s that for?”

“Micro-lacerations. You had them all over as you took the brunt of the explosion.  
Your eyes are quite red, but the microfissures should begin to calm and heal over the next ten minutes. Are you hungry?”

“Yes.” Hyungwon wiped the tears off his face. Kihyun was acting kind of weird. Where were the accusations and yelling?

“That’s good. Lie down and I’ll see what they’ve got. In the meantime-” Kihyun screwed off the cap of a water bottle “-drink this, at least half.”

Kihyun returned to the kitchen where the conversation halted. He looked at them. MK had joined them and was sitting in Hyungwon’s vacated seat.

“Uh, is it okay if I...” Kihyun gestured to the fridge and cabinets.

“Yes,” Seungwon answered. “Do you need help?”

“No.” Kihyun said, adding thank you a beat later. He looked through the fridge and pulled out an apple, then found some oatmeal in a cabinet. He set about preparing a packet. While it heated, he peeled and finely chopped the apple, then topped the oatmeal with the fruit. It was deadly silent. He felt eyes on his back, but he didn’t engage with them.

Entering the bedroom once again, he saw Hyungwon still sitting up and flexing his hand.

“Does it feel off?” Kihyun asked, handing the bowl to Hyungwon.

“Tender.”

“It will feel that way for a day or two. Should I feed you?”

Hyungwon clenched his jaw, then relaxed. “I’m ambidextrous,” he deadpanned.

“Huh.” He never picked up on that before. Kihyun rolled the desk chair back to the bed and propped his feet up on the mattress. “I’ll massage it later, keeping the blood flowing and tissue stimulated will help.”

“Christ, Yoo.” Hyungwon dropped the spoon back in the bowl and huffed. “Can you not?”

Oh, boy. Here they go. Kihyun adopted a lofty air. “Not what? Do what I came here to do?”

“I don’t need you catering to me.” Hyungwon winced. This wasn’t coming out right. “Thank you, but please don’t.”

“I see. What would you advise me to do then?” Kihyun asked, unable to uphold the unaffected tone.

Hyungwon’s fingers went white on the bowl, but he didn’t say anything.

“Please, enlighten me. I’m dying to know. What would you have me do? Maybe I could review my teams’ developments. Reports were due end of day yesterday. That’ll keep my busy.”

Kihyun looked down at his nonexistent watch. “Ah, perfect, looks like I’m just in time for Lieutenant Bethel’s sonogram. I’ll be right back.” Kihyun snapped his fingers in an ‘aw, shucks’ manner. “Oh, that’s right.” Kihyun knocked the side of his head with a fist like he was an idiot. “I can’t. I’m on the fucking Ambrose, enemy of the Federation.”

“I pushed you down, you knew full well I didn’t want you to follow me past that barrier.”

Kihyun’s mouth opened in shock, flabbergasted. “You ungrateful bastard!” He stood up. “I should have left you to die, is that it? You take a shot for me and I’m supposed to shrug my shoulders as you bleed out? You know what? Fuck you! Fuck you for denying me from the only thing keeping me sane at the moment, the only thing I have any kind of control over.”

“Kihyun.” Hyungwon bit his lip, thinking about what to say. “I’m sorry you’re here. I’m sorry. I’d say it a hundred times more if would help anything, but it won’t. Do you think I wanted this for you?”

Kihyun dropped down into the chair once more. He pushed off the floor with his feet and the chair carried him back to the desk, where he turned his back on Hyungwon and snooped through MK’s drawers. “Eat your oatmeal.”

He found a pencil sharpener and put every pencil, colored and regular, through the ringer. Shavings curled down into a messy pile on the desktop. He heard the clinking of the spoon against the bowl behind him. As angry as he was, he was so grateful he wasn’t here by himself. He was also ashamed. As a doctor, he shouldn’t have put Hyungwon under undue stress....He clenched his jaw, he should have waited until tomorrow.

“Can I have some more water?”

It was an olive branch.

Kihyun stood and took the empty bowl and spoon from Hyungwon. “I’ll be right back.”

When he returned to the kitchen, only Yoonho and Seokwon sat. They looked at him oddly and Kihyun wondered if perhaps the walls weren’t as solid as they looked. He rinsed the bowl, set it in the dishwasher then retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge.

As he was about to leave, he turned around, both hands clutching the bottle. “I don’t suppose there’s a computer we could borrow or something?”

“No,” Seokwon said. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, but, uh…”

“Was there something in particular you needed to do?” Yoonho asked.

“Something to watch, a movie or a show. Hyungwon shouldn’t really be out of bed much today and, honestly, I could use the distraction too.”

“We can manage that,” Seokwon said. “We’ll just bring a holoscreen in, let us know what you’re in the mood for, we’ll stream it from the helm.”

 _So much for being in this together,_ Kihyun thought.

He nodded. “Later, then.”

Kihyun returned to the bedroom and handed the bottle to Hyungwon, who made a show of trying to open it, holding it back out to Kihyun for unneeded help.

“Don’t be a jackass,” Kihyun countered, unscrewing the easy cap and offering it back to Hyungwon.

Hyungwon smiled ever so slightly, raising the bottle to his lips and drinking. “Am I free to shower now?”

“You should sleep some more.”

“Kihyun, I feel like shit. I want to wash, I’ll be able to rest better after a good shower.”

Kihyun pursed his lips. “Fine. I’ll be listening outside though. Don’t tell me you don’t feel woozy.”

“I don’t care if you come in and take a shit, I just want to shower.”

His lip curled in disgust. “Don’t be gross.”

Hyungwon managed to shower successfully without braining himself and they soon found themselves back in MK’s bedroom, Kihyun ordering him under the covers and turning off the lights.

Hyungwon looked over to Kihyun by the lightswitch. “What are you going to do?”

Kihyun felt out of place, uncomfortable on this foreign ship with people who were really only strangers at the end of the day. He walked back to the bed and sat down. 

Kihyun returned to what he did best, caring for his crew. “Tell me truly, how are you feeling?”

“Weak. My hand hurts, feels odd. Tired.”

Kihyun took hold of his hand, massaging his thumbs into the spot Hyungwon was shot the day before. He worked his thumbs downward and gripped each finger, taking his time to massage each one. “Is this helping?”

Hyungwon nodded, closing his eyes. 

“Why don’t you have a microchip?”

“It’s a Hardy Boy thing.”

“You must have had one at some point. It’s procedure.”

“I did. We just took them out afterwards.”

“Why would a microchip get in the way of anything?”

Hyungwon’s lips curled up. “Why do you think?”

Kihyun grew silent. “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

Hyungwon opened his eyes, meeting Kihyun’s eyes.

Kihyun blinked and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Put you in this position.”

Kihyun dropped his gaze back to the hand within his own.

“Yoo, I’m going to get you off this ship. I promise you.”

Kihyun forced a smile. “And you?”

“That remains to be seen.”

Kihyun didn’t know what to say. Both their destinies had changed course yesterday. Nothing seemed knowable or foreseeable as things currently stood. The only thing he felt certain in admitting was tomorrow looked bleak, no matter which angle you looked.

Kihyun moved his attention back into the meat of Hyungwon’s palm. He shrugged and tried for humor. “I think your dad might be kind of a dick.”

Hyungwon snorted, closing his eyes, an easy smile settling on his face.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunwoo hadn’t managed to sleep the night before. He doubted many could. Was Hyungwon alive? Was Kihyun scared and alone? Was anyone out there close to finding them and, if they were, what would they do?

After a day at the helm, he found himself in front of Kihyun’s quarters, overriding the locks. He discarded his shoes by the door and as he moved forward, he realized he wasn’t alone. Someone else had the same instinct.

“Captain,” Minhyuk greeted solemnly. He sat at Kihyun’s table, a bottle of wine and an empty wine glass in front of him.

Hyunwoo sighed. “Hyunwoo will do.” He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and joined him.

The glug of the pouring wine ate up the silence between them as Minhyuk filled their glasses. This was the first time Hyunwoo saw any evidence of Minhyuk’s tears in the four years he knew him. Red-rimmed, drawn and tired.

Minhyuk avoided his eyes for a time, but when he finally looked at Hyunwoo, the tears came. “I need him.”

“I know.”

“I can’t function without him.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “You can.”

“What’s going to happen to them?”

“I can’t say because I don’t know...but, we were able to argue Kihyun’s status from desterter to hostage. It wasn’t easy considering Kihyun’s had contact with them before. From an outside point of view, the fact Kihyun left with them implies...well, suffice to say some speculated he’s been in ‘cahoots’ with them since last year. However, now that he’s been marked a hostage, it may make the fleet a little more hesitant to open fire on the Ambrose.”

“And Hyungwon?”

“The evidence clearly shows him leaving of his own volition. Twice. The best we can hope for at the moment is proving Cha and the Ambrose innocent before they’re found.”

“If they’re found first?”

“I’d be a hypocrite if I told you to not think about it.” Hyungwon spun the stem between his fingers and then set it down on the table. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat this. “It’s not good. We’ve gotten word that a bounty fund started for their capture, started by families of the victims, but it’s gotten out of hand. Now people are out for blood for the sport of it, and this is one day later. It is my hope that Cha releases them to safety, but I don’t know what he’ll do. Dropping them or one of them off on a planet would put the collective _them_ at risk.”

Hyunwoo sighed. “Putting myself if Cha’s place, I’d stay low and hidden.”

“That won’t work forever. At some point they’ll need food, supplies.”

Hyunwoo shrugged a shoulder. “There’s no telling what Cha has at his disposal. They had a home here in Siren after all. We believe him to be well connected. Those connections could very well save both Kihyun and Hyungwon.”

“What are you doing here?” Minhyuk asked.

“What are you doing here?” Hyunwoo returned.

“I thought I’d pick out a book and lay down on the couch, but now that I’m here…”

“It’s not as comforting as you thought,” Hyunwoo guessed.

“Something like that.” Minhyuk took a sip, set the glass down and slouched down in the chair. “Do you think he’s okay?”

Hyunwoo grimaced. Okay was vague, but Minhyuk was fishing for hope, not more depressing what-ifs. “Yes. I’ve no doubt he is healthy, uninjured and is driving Hyungwon up the wall. I do imagine he is rather stressed though.”

Minhyuk glanced around the room. “I bet he misses this right about now: all his little mementos, his own clothes, god, his shampoo and soap.” He smiled. “Whenever anyone mentions his proclivities for luxuries and toiletries, he says it’s because he has sensitive skin. It’s bullshit. He just likes it, but he’s embarrassed by it, you know?”

Hyunwoo smiled. Kihyun had used that excuse on him before when he commented on it.

He took in Minhyuk across from him. Dark circles under his eyes and a frown that was often missing from his usual cheery face. It was dark in here, Minhyuk hadn’t bothered to power up the quarters. “Were you going to spend the night?”

“Uh, yes, were you?”

He was, but if being here was helping Minhyuk in some way, he’d leave it to him. “No. I wanted to get the sweats he keeps stealing.”

“Mm.” Minhyuk nodded absently.

Hyunwoo stood. “Get some rest, Minhyuk. Take care of yourself.”

“You, too.” Minhyuk watched Hyunwoo open Kihyun’s closet and grab a sweatshirt. Hyunwoo huffed amusedly and pulled out three more, draping them over his arm and closing the door.

“Goodnight, Hyunwoo.”

“Goodnight, Min.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One Month Later

“Whoa! Whoa! Ease up!” Sharp warned, hands itching to take over.

“I am!” Kihyun shouted, sensitive.

Hyungwon laughed in the chair behind them. “I told you; teaching him is pointless.”

Kihyun snapped his head back and glared. “You’re just sore because you’re a shit teacher!”

“Christ Kihyun! Keep your eyes on what’s in front!” Sharp yelled.

Kihyun snapped his head forward and almost screamed, but managed to steer them away from hitting the rock.

Hyungwon shook with silent laughter. “You took us right into an asteroid field.”

“Shut up!” Kihyun’s heart was hammering because there were too many and this was literally his first rodeo.

“I’m taking controls back,” Sharp informed. 

Kihyun’s hands were suddenly accomplishing nothing on the controls in front of him and he slumped. He wasn’t used to being bad at anything.

Sharp glanced over at him, hesitant. “It wasn’t bad for a first time.”

“Liar,” Hyungwon and Kihyun echoed.

Sharp was saved from having to further lie by an incoming transmission. 

“Homebase to Mercy.”

Sharp flipped a switch. “Go ahead.”

“We have receipt of shipment. Keep your eyes peeled,” Seokwon said.

“Acknowledged.” Sharp flipped the switch off again. It wasn’t safe to keep comms up for long.

Hyungwon patted the side of the chair Kihyun was occupying.

“Fine,” Kihyun grumbled, getting up and switching with Hyungwon in the narrow hatch.

Sharp tried and failed to not watch Kihyun’s ass pass his face as the doctor maneuvered into the back again. Hyungwon’s resulting stink eye did nothing for him anymore. What? Kihyun’s a pretty man. No harm in looking. It’s not like he was seducing the doctor. 

Sharp had been surprised when Kihyun asked to join them today. When they arrived on the Ambrose a month ago, Hyungwon adjusted quickly, his mindset and skillset advantageous to their team. Kihyun, however, was a work in progress. He spent the first two weeks hiding away. It honestly reminded him of MK’s sulky teenager phase. The past two weeks though, Kihyun had made a tentative effort, much to MK’s persistence.

It started with MK wanting to cook, something no one in their little cohort did. After some pestering, Sharp walked in on MK and Kihyun at the counter slicing chicken, onions and bell peppers. Fajitas. A couple days later, playing poker with Yoonho and Seokwon. A week after that, setting up a miniature sickbay with Yoosu after having cleaned out a storage room.

Kihyun and Hyungwon still shared a room, however they brought in a second mattress. Although Kihyun had begun making an effort, Sharp often found him standing in an empty room looking out into space. He wouldn’t presume to know what Kihyun was thinking, but he suspected much of what Kihyun showed them was a veneer. Only when Hyungwon was around, did he think he ever caught sight of the real Kihyun. 

Hyungwon settled into the co-chair beside Sharp. Long fingers moved over the screen. “Initiating sensor array.”

“Prepping tractor beam,” Sharp said.

There was a short silence as the array scan beeped from the console, searching for the incoming cargo. This, like every other venture off the Ambrose was a risk, but supplies were necessary. This shipment was primarily food, some wires and tools for maintenance...and a few luxuries. Sharp’s eyes had widened when he read the shipment list this morning. Several of the things were clearly for Kihyun, though he knew for a fact Kihyun didn’t request them. He suspected Hyungwon added them. 

“Target acquired,” Hyungwon informed, piloting them to the coordinates of the cargo, far into the asteroid field.

Kihyun kicked his chair from behind. “Looks like I was right on track.”

“You would have drove right into the damn cargo, Yoo,” Hyungwon replied.

Kihyun crossed his arms.

“Not bad.” Sharp whistled. Their cargo lay ahead of them, almost indistinguishable from the other rocks in the field.

Kihyun peered in the space between the chairs up front. “That’s it?”

“Yep. Locking tractor beam,” Sharp said. Ever since the unofficial bounty was issued, the amount of contacts they trusted dwindled to a select few. Thankfully, those select few knew what they were doing.

“Alright. Let’s get out of here.” Hyungwon moved them out of the field and then ‘home.’

When they docked back in cargo bay, Yoonho and MK went out to help. It took Sharp and Yoonho ten minutes with welding torches to pry the thing open. Then, after the course of several trips, they each took a box and brought it into the kitchen. Most of the items went into the pantry, but there were several boxes of fresh vegetables, fruits and meats that were stored in the back freezer and refrigerator. They’d be set for a while.

Seungwon came in to evaluate and then caught Hyungwon’s and Yoosu’s attention. “Have a minute?”

Hyungwon dropped the crackers back into the box. “Sure.”

They followed Cha to the back of the ship and to his office. None of them sat, just leaned against the desk, the door, the filing cabinet.

“I’ve received word from Cashpien,” Cha stated.

Hyungwon straightened from the wall. His promise to Kihyun about getting him off the ship was not an empty one and he’d been hounding Seungwon on a daily basis for solutions. This one was the most promising even if it wouldn’t return Kihyun to the Newton. He’d yet to inform Kihyun of any plans, unwilling to get his hopes up and then have to dash them, which the three of them had done several times over now.

“What did he say?”

“They will take him.”

“Well, that’s great,” Hyungwon replied. Kihyun may have started settling into life on this ship, but make no mistake, the odds the Ambrose would make it through the next months without being attacked were slim.

“However,” Seungwon continued, not letting Hyungwon jump on wholeheartedly, “he will be a guest for the duration of our...quest for justice.”

Yoosu’s mouth quirked. “Guest sounds a lot like prisoner.”

Seungwon inclined his head, not disagreeing. “It will remove him from danger. They’re hardly heathens there. They’ll treat him well.” He looked at Hyungwon sincerely. “He’s offering to do you a huge favor.”

Hyungwon worried his bottom lip with his fingers, thinking. “It’s not that I don’t understand why they need to hold onto him until we’re proven innocent-

Seungwon smiled at ‘we’re.’

“-, but what if we don’t make it? Is he going to be stuck there forever because they don’t want to be connected to aiding us?” Hyungwon shook his head. What if this went on for years? Still, it would keep him alive at the very least.

Hyungwon moved to sit on the arm of a chair. “If we do this and if Kihyun agrees, we need to have a fail safe in the event we don’t make it. He deserves a way home. Hyunwoo needs to know he’s alive if we aren’t able to return him later.”

Seungwon nodded. “Very well. If it comes to that, we can transmit a message in the event the Ambrose is destroyed.”

Yoosu looked to Cha. “Have you thought about sending MK with him?”

Seungwon shook his head. “He wouldn’t go, besides, they won’t take our kind.” Looking back and forth between the two younger men, he continued. “Should we call him in here?”

Hyungwon dug his tongue into his cheek, thinking. He was nervous all of a sudden. What if Kihyun said no? This may be the best they could do. “I’ll get him.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After putting away the last of the foods, Kihyun excused himself, feigning a headache.

“Wait a sec.” Sharp stopped him. He handed him an unopened box. “This one’s for you.”

Kihyun’s brows turned down in confusion. “I didn’t ask for anything.”

“Ask Hyungwon.”

Kihyun accepted the box. It wasn’t heavy, but he could tell there were multiple items in it. He nodded and left the communal area.

Upon returning to his room, he dropped the box on the desk and used scissors to break the tape. He was stunned when he pulled the flaps back. Kihyun could admit he was a vain individual, but the level of grooming on this ship was appalling: no lotion, no face care, 2 in 1 shampoo, harsh bar soap, no styling products. Inside this box were all the little luxuries, no, necessities, Kihyun had been missing. They weren’t even his brands, but they excited him nonetheless. He took out the smoothing conditioner and unscrewed the cap, inhaling deeply.

Kihyun may have moaned and dropped down into the desk chair and smelled again. He took out the next item. Gods above, eye cream. Next, cherry fucking chapstick. He immediately bit the plastic off and applied three generous layers. One by one, he went through the box: manicure essentials, hand cream, moisturizer, toner, eyeliner, bb cream. 

He’d been smiling the whole way through, yet when it was finally all out in the open in front of him, he was hit with such a violent pang of homesickness, he crumbled. Hard. Hot tears washed his cheeks and his chest burned. His hand came over his heart and he fell forward until his forehead reached the edge of the desk. He bit his lip, unwilling to make a sound, but he sobbed nonetheless, his body shaking on silent cries. He wanted to go home.

No matter how much he tried to distract himself, it always came back to this. He missed the Newton, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, his friends, his job, everything. No amount of cooking, socializing or organizing could change that. Setting up that rinky dink medical clinic was just a way to pass the day. This wasn’t his home. He didn’t belong here. Neither did Hyungwon, though he seemed to fit in more by the day.

A couple knocks came at the door before Hyungwon passed through.

Kihyun stiffened, not looking up. He could see tears darken the light gray sweatpants at his knees. “Thank you,” Kihyun choked out.

“You’re...welcome.” Shit. It’s not that Hyungwon didn’t know Kihyun cried from time to time. He was just never privy to it firsthand. He was crap at comforting people. “Did you want to be alone?”

“It’s your room too,” Kihyun said hallowly.

Hyungwon laid down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “Cha wanted to see you.”

Kihyun straightened up in the chair. “Why?” While always polite and courteous, Seungwon by and large didn’t bother Kihyun too much; he sensed Kihyun’s disapproval.

“We’ve found an _option_ for you.”

Kihyun used the tee-shirt to dry his face. “Does it get us back to the Newton?”

“I said ‘for you,’” Hyungwon reiterated.

Kihyun frowned. Hyungwon was dead set on going down with them and it hurt. A part of him felt betrayed by Hyungwon. Weren’t they enough? Wasn’t the Newton enough?

He swallowed. “Does it get me back to the Newton?”

“Not right away.”

Kihyun carelessly began tossing each item back into the box.

“Kihyun, this may be your best chance. Another opportunity might not come along. You’d be safe. Not cramped on this ship with me.”

Kihyun threw the chapstick into the box and stood, turning around and glaring at Hyungwon. “I _don’t_ want to leave without you.”

Hyungwon’s hair swished against the pillow as he tipped his head towards Kihyun, meeting his eyes. “Stop deluding yourself. You’ve always known I was going to stay. I’ve told you since we first got here. I have to see this through. You, on the other hand, do not.”

“I won’t do it then.”

Hyungwon sighed. “If you have any compassion for me, for Hyunwoo, for Minhyuk, for yourself, you will. If this ship is lit up and you along with it, how do you think they’ll feel? If this ship is attacked and you’re hurt or killed, how do you think I’ll feel. I don’t want to be responsible for anything else that happens to you? Do you understand? I don’t like it. I don’t like being responsible for you. I hate it. Don’t you want to return to Starfleet someday?”

“Don’t you?!” Kihyun yelled.

Hyungwon ignored him. “Everyday you’re here, that possibility becomes less and less. You need to get out, the sooner the better.”

Kihyun’s chin wobbled. Yet again, his life was about to change. He already knew he’d take the offer. Hyungwon wanted him to. He wanted to too. God, he was such a coward. Every morning he woke up and thought, ‘Wow, I’m still here.’ He was scared of dying. Hell, he was scared of going to jail.

Feeling the change in Kihyun, Hyungwon sat up, pushing his cause further. He needed to put the final nail in the coffin. “Did you ever stop to think you’re holding us back?”

Kihyun’s breath shuddered and he hugged himself. “What?” he said weakly.

“We’re out in no man’s land right now because I’ve been trying to find a way for you. Cha and I shook on it. That was the deal. Don’t you think we’d rather be trying to find a way out of this?” This was a half-truth. Cha did agree to do whatever he could to get Kihyun to safety. The reason they were in no-man’s land right now, however, was because they weren’t sure what the best way forward was yet.

“I didn’t ask you to!” Kihyun bellowed. Anger was so much easier than depression and homesickness.

“And I didn’t ask you to get on this fucking ship!”

“I am not having this argument again!”

“Then get off,” Hyungwon said simply. He stood up, approached Kihyun and placed his hands on his shoulders. “Kihyun. Please. You don’t want to be here, and I don’t want you to be here if or when things go south.”

Kihyun bit his lip, looking down at their feet. Tears warmed his eyes.

“Hey. I’ve saved you, you’ve saved me. Let me save you again. Who knows? If we’re lucky, you could return the favor down the line.”

Despair clutched at Kihyun’s heart and he hugged Hyungwon close. He might never see Hyungwon again after all this. “What is this option?”

Hyungwon patted his back, relieved. “Come on. Seungwon has more details than I do.” He pulled back and took Kihyun’s hand, leading him out of the room.

They passed a worried looking MK, who most likely came after the shouting. One thing Kihyun came to learn? These walls were definitely not sound proof. Kihyun wasn’t sure who Yoosu entertained at night, but it was lively.

By the time Hyungwon and Kihyun returned to Cha’s office, Seungwon and Yoosu had settled into chairs and were deep in discussion.

At their entry, Seungwon observed Kihyun, noting the splotchy face and red eyes. “Dr. Yoo, please, take a seat.”

Kihyun moved forward to the empty chair next to Yoosu in front of Seungwon’s desk.

Yoosu stood and motioned for Hyungwon to take his and moved to lean against the wall instead.

“Thanks.” Hyungwon sat next to Kihyun. His arms settled on his spread legs and he leaned forward with interest, ready to ask questions on Kihyun’s behalf and make him as comfortable as possible so that his friend could leave with some peace of mind.

Cha slid his teacup and saucer away to give Kihyun his undivided attention. “I have an old contact whom I have spoken with on your behalf.”

Kihyun was too upset with this situation issue the retort he normally would have.

“I know you didn’t ask me to, but your welfare is important to Hyungwon, to us, though you may not believe that and also to the Newton, who I believe will lead the Federation to the truth and end this.”

Kihyun waited patiently for him to continue.

“We have secured a safe place for you to stay while this plays out. However, contact with the outside world is forbidden and you will remain at this safe place until your host feels it is safe to return you to your ship. Do you understand?”

Kihyun almost nodded. He didn’t even know anything yet. “Wait. Where? Who?”

Seungwon smiled. “How would you like to go home?”

Kihyun’s brow crinkled in confusion. 

Hyungwon sighed. His father held a flair for the dramatic. “Bebemon. Will you go?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened as his head snapped to Hyungwon in shock.

Seungwon continued. “Cashpien Lelayne. He owns a sizable estate where he lives with his wife and three children. They have graciously agreed to open their house to you under the condition you follow their terms, which I have already stated. One, you will have no contact with the outside world during your stay. Two, you will remain there until he deems it safe for them to return you to the Newton. They are taking a risk by hosting you. They don’t want the Federation or Starfleet coming down on them or their people. Outsiders are not welcome on Bebemon.”

Disdain curled in Kihyun’s heart. He knew that firsthand. “I’m surprised your contact has offered.”

Seungwon regarded Kihyun kindly despite the snub. “First impressions are rarely lasting impressions. I suspect, should you choose to go, yours will fail to last.”

Kihyun’s heart thumped at the prospect of Bebemon. A part of it was fear, a part of it was interest, but most of it was leaving Hyungwon to an uncertain fate.

“Kihyun.” Hyungwon prompted.

Kihyun’s face fell as he looked at Hyungwon. This felt like the real betrayal. “Yes. Okay.”

Kihyun watched the tension fall from Hyungwon’s face. 

Hyungwon nodded at Kihyun then turned to Seungwon. “What else can you tell us? What kind of freedom will he have? Are there any expectations outside their terms? Is Cashpien or was Cashpien a violent man? What kind of connection was he? Will he have his own room? Is he expected to share meals with the family or babysit their children? Will he have an opportunity to make acquaintances or friends? Does he-”

Seungwon held his hand up to stop the barrage of questions. “My dealings with Cashpien have been strictly black market trade. He sells resources for a heightened price and I also provide him with some luxuries not available on Bebemon. I’m afraid I cannot answer many of these questions, I do not know, but he is a decent man by measure.”

Yoosu spoke up. “I’ve met him a few times. Outside business, all I’ve heard him talk about are his children, seems like a stereotypical family man. He is also a prominent figure in the political scene, which is how he’s gotten away with all the under-the-table black market deals. They live a _very_ comfortable life, I’d be surprised if you don’t have your own space or that they don’t provide you with anything you may need or want for that matter, outside communication devices.”

The three men looked at Kihyun.

“What are you thinking?” Seungwon asked.

I wish I could turn back time, Kihyun thought. Everything was so wrong. Everything. He wasn’t on the Newton. He was abandoning Hyungwon. He was going to hide away like a coward on a foreign planet. He looked back at Hyungwon second guessing everything.

Hyungwon’s jaw set and he stared Kihyun down. “No. We agreed. This isn’t just for you. It’s for me, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, Jooheon, Hoseok, Changkyun. For all the good you have left to do. For the people on this ship so we can move forward unflinchingly. You agreed, now follow through.”

Kihyun nodded. His throat was closing up with emotion.

Hyungwon turned back to Cha. “When will this take place?”

“Tomorrow.”

Kihyun shot up straight in his chair, wholly unprepared for that. “No.”

Cha leaned forward. “Kihyun. This is essentially a time of war. Hard decisions must be made by all. You’ve just made a huge one. You don’t get the privilege to choose every little detail of your future. Consider this outside your control if it makes you feel better. It is long past time you’ve been delivered to safety. We are ever grateful for you, but you don’t belong here. It is time to go.”

Kihyun nodded, heartbroken, and stood. He didn’t have the heart to look at Hyungwon. “I, um, I’m going back to my room. I need to pack...” He froze for a second, a little lost, then turned and left them.

Hyungwon surprised himself by how hurt he was by Kihyun’s overflowing emotions. “I’m gonna go check on him. Is there anything I or he needs to do in preparation?”

“No. It’s all handled.”

Hyungwon hurried after Kihyun down the hall. “Kihyun!”

Kihyun stopped.

“Do you want to get shitfaced?” Hyungwon asked helplessly from down the hall.

Kihyun frowned. “Yes.”

Hyungwon continued forward until they stood before each other. “Okay. Why don’t you get your new things and take a decent shower. You’ll feel a little better. Then, we’ll ruin it with copious amounts of liquour.”

“Deal,” he tried to put some spirit in it, but it sounded as fake as it felt.

Thirty well washed and shampooed minutes later, Kihyun and Hyungwon sat on the floor mattress with a bottle of vodka as Ragnorak played in the background.

Hyungwon laughed. “You are such a priss.”

“You sound like a bigotted tool.”

“Are you drinking or painting your nails?”

“I’m filing my nails, you jackass. Doctors have well-manicured hands, it’s a whole thing.”

“Do much doctoring here, do you?” Hyungwon took a swig and handed the bottle to Kihyun.

“A bit,” he defended. He had. He’d treated several black eyes, a broken finger and even replaced a finger when MK became overzealous with chopping vegetables a week ago. He was glad he set up that little sickbay room. They now had something passable for taking care of all the little injuries, even some bigger injuries. Considering Hyungwon was staying, it brought him a small measure of comfort.

“Hyungwon, what’s your type?”

Hyungwon rose a brow. “Already moving on?”

Kihyun dropped the file and took a drink, wincing at the strength. “Never, but, I mean, I’ve never been able to get a read on you. Hoseok likes ‘em big and busty, Jooheon likes them sweet and cheery, Changkyun likes a challenge, Min likes everything. You? I honestly have no idea. Do you even have a preference?”

“Mmmm. Leggy. Mysterious, but straightforward. I suppose I lean slightly to females, but if I think about it, my most intense encounters have been with men.” Hyungwon shrugged, then narrowed his eyes on the smaller man. Since they seemed to be sharing...

“Why’d you kiss me that night at the Underground?”

“I was plastered and pissed,” Kihyun said, taking another drink and handing it back to Hyungwon.

“Yeah,” Hyungwon laughed, remembering Kihyun’s neanderthal rant, “but, why me?”

Kihyun looked at Hyungwon then made a face. “I don’t know. I kept replaying Hyunwoo with those two men over and over and I wanted to stick it to him, an eye for an eye kind of thing. But then...I don’t like touching strangers. You weren’t a stranger.”

“You’re a doctor and you don’t like strangers?” Hyungwon questioned.

“That’s different.” Kihyun shrugged. “I guess I feel like intimate touches or affections are meant for the people you are close to...it feels dirty when it’s not. And you? I don’t know, you felt safe and comfortable.”

Hyungwon grinned and took a big gulp. “So, your idea of sticking it to Hyunwoo was to kiss the one guy in the bar who had no interest in you?”

“Like I said, I was drunk. It must have made sense at the time.”

They quieted and watched the movie for a few minutes. 

Kihyun glanced over at him. “If you were on the Newton right now, what would you be doing?”

“Kihyun….” Hyungwon had been trying his hardest to keep things light and easy.

“No malice or negativity, on a typical - What’s today?” Kihyun digressed.

Hyungwon chuckled. “I have no idea.” 

“It feels like a Wednesday. On a typical Wednesday night, what would you be doing?”

Hyungwon sighed. “Models.”

Kihyun sputtered. “Wow. Okay.”

“What?” Hyungwon looked at him strangely.

Kihyun was going to drop it, but… “How can you be doing models when you live on Starfleet Ship?”

“Why can’t I?” Hyungwon persisted.

“Uh, because, as I said, we live on a ship of Starfleet personnel. Unless you count Ensign Erica’s stint as a model for Federation Eagle _ten years ago_ , god, she never shuts up about that, there are no models on the Newton.”

“Wha-” Hyungwon shook his head. “You are so dumb. _Models_ , as in space ships and vintage aircraft.”

“Oooooooooh.” Kihyun nodded his head in understanding before falling into laughter. “You are a total nerd.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes.

“Have you and Hoseok ever fucked?”

Hyungwon coughed. “Where did that come from?!”

Kihyun raised a brow. Hyungwon didn’t exactly answer the question there, did he? “The four of you guys are all really close, but there always seems to be something kind of complicated between you two.”

“We’ve known each other a long time, from before the Academy.”

Kihyun nodded knowingly. “Your checkered past before the no past? You two didn’t get along in the top secret underground army?”

“Just call it Black Ops, you sound like a dork. No, we were fine. Sometimes he….we don’t see eye to eye on some things, that’s all.”

Kihyun hummed in understanding. Silence settled once more. They passed the vodka back and forth. Kihyun should really stop before he put himself in an early grave.

“I’m scared,” Kihyun said, looking ahead at the movie. 

Hyungwon laid down on the mattress, neither of them were very interested in the movie. “Of tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Kihyun laid down beside him. The room tilted.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“You won’t be,” Hyungwon said.

“I will. You know what I mean.”

“You can handle it. When your parents died and you were alone at the orphanage, you managed on your own. When you were sent to that boarding school, you managed on your own and met people. This is just another one of those times. You take in your surroundings and make the best of it.”

Kihyun turned onto his side and looked at Hyungwon’s profile. “Are you scared?”

Hyungwon nodded.

“Of what?”

“Dying and being thought of as a traitor, of them thinking I’ve turned my back on them.”

“Why did you get on this ship Hyungwon?”

Hyungwon breathed deeply. “I was pulled. Family, closure, truth, justice. Pick one.”

“ _We’re_ your family, not him.”

Hyungwon huffed. “You sound like Hoseok. Ki, for twelve years, he was. He raised me, took care of me and then he lost me while trying to save me. Twelve years. That’s half my life, he was my father for half my life. I may not remember it, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

“If this gets resolved, what will you do?”

“Deal with the consequences, whatever they may be. I feel like I’ve been working towards this for as long as I can remember. I would do it again. I’d have incapacitated you in the elevator, but I’d do it all again. Haven’t you ever felt strongly enough about something? I’m meant to be here.”

Kihyun thought about the all-consuming drive to become a doctor. Nothing got in his way, he didn’t let it, not his health, not budding friendships, not sleep. He yawned.

Hyungwon fought one himself. “Getting tired?”

Kihyun nodded, yawning again. 

Hyungwon pulled the blanket from the bed to their left and covered them. They hadn’t slept in the same bed since this extra mattress was dragged in. As Kihyun’s breaths deepened into sleep, Hyungwon stared at the wall. With Kihyun gone tomorrow, he’d be able to focus. They’d be able to make the smart, calculated and risky decisions they needed to. He’d miss him though. A part of him was scared for Kihyun too, but it would be infinitely better down there than up here.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The time for departure came alarmingly fast, just before lunch the next day. Kihyun’s heart pounded all morning. He spent much of it showing Kwangji and Hyungwon every item in the makeshift sickbay, the dos and don’ts of phaser wounds, head wounds, bleeds, flatlining. He told Hyungwon not to die at least ten times this morning. He packed his belongings; it all fit in a plastic bag, which Sharp then put in a bookbag. 

“You’re not leaving looking like a hobo,” he had said.

Kihyun had been wearing MK’s tees and sweatpants all month on rotation and today he left in his navy blue sweats and black tee, which at some point had gray writing, but it was well past legible. He did still have his Starfleet boots, which brought him some comfort. 

Hyungwon looked at the time. They were supposed to leave three minutes ago. “Are you ready? I’ll fly you over.” 

“Okay.”

Kihyun made his way through the goodbyes, surprised himself by hugging Seungwon in addition to the rest, perhaps because he held Hyungwon’s life in his hands. Sharp offered him a polite, gentlemanly hug, urging him to take care of himself. Kihyun pecked his cheek in gratitude. Seungwon had been right about some first impressions. Sharp had been there for him since the first night on the ship even when Kihyun hadn’t been so kind back.

MK squeezed him hard. When Kihyun pulled back to encourage his study of art and to keep trying recipes, MK leaned forward and planted a big one right on his lips. He felt tongue.

“Sorry,” MK said. “I didn’t want to die without ever kissing you.”

“Oh,” Kihyun replied shell-shocked. “Okay, then.” He swallowed. “Glad to be of service,” he went of awkwardly.

“In that case,” Sharp jested, stepping forward, diffusing the tension.

Kihyun turned to Hyungwon. “I’m ready,” he said earnestly.

Hyungwon and Kihyun boarded the Mercy in the cargo bay as the rest of the crew returned to the innership. This was it. 

Hyungwon went through the main systems checks. “Systems are a go.”

Kwangji’s voice came through the comm. “Cargo Bay doors opening.”

Kihyun’s breath quickened and Hyungwon turned off the comms so they had some privacy.

“Okay?” Hyungwon checked.

Kihyun nodded, holding the emotions down.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Promise we’ll see each other again,” Kihyun said.

“I promise.” Hyungwon took them out, steering them to the larger ship in the distance.

“What if they’re all assholes?” Kihyun questioned aloud.

“Then you’ll fit right in,” Hyungwon replied easily.

Kihyun grinned. Hyungwon returned it then took them into the opening doors of the Bemonian ship, landing in the designated space.

“This is where I stop,” Hyungwon said.

Kihyun swallowed and hugged him hard. Hyungwon returned it. “You’ve got this. It’s just another chapter, you’ll see.”

Kihyun nodded into his shoulder. “Be careful. Don’t be stupid.” Kihyun pulled back quickly and stood after that or he wouldn’t have budged at all.

“Okay.” He blinked wildly, trying to remain strong. “I’m ready.”

Hyungwon opened the doors from his seat. His own heart was palpitating quickly for Kihyun, heading off into the unknown.

Kihyun descended the short ramp and looked up at Hyungwon for the last time. “Hey Chae!” he called.

“Yeah?” Hyungwon yelled.

“How many hours of trouble do you think we’re in?”

Hyungwon sent him an easy smile. “Several lifetimes over.”

“Pretty impressive.”

Hyungwon nodded. “Pretty fucking impressive, Yoo.”

Kihyun beamed as the hatch closed and he wondered if this would be the last time he saw Hyungwon, and if not, how long he’d have to wait until that time came. He watched Hyungwon fly away. Kihyun’s smile flattened with every mile Hyungwon put between them. He was on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sigh._ Yes, I am aware there are gaping holes, but for whatever reason I wasn't able to patch them up. What can I say, I'm in a creative depression at the moment.


End file.
